Comparing the efficacy in reducing dentin hypersensitivity of a new toothpaste containing 8.0% arginine, calcium carbonate, and 1450 ppm fluoride to a commercial sensitive toothpaste containing 2% potassium ion: an eight-week clinical study on Canadian adults.

Author(s): Ayad F, Ayad N, Zhang YP, DeVizio W, Cummins D, Mateo LR

Affiliation(s): Canadian Clinical Research Center, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

Publication date & source: 2009, J Clin Dent., 20(1):10-6.

Publication type: Comparative Study; Randomized Controlled Trial; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

OBJECTIVE: This paper presents the results of one of two eight-week dentin hypersensitivity clinical studies in which the efficacy of a novel toothpaste containing 8.0% arginine, calcium carbonate, and 1450 ppm fluoride as sodium monofluorophosphate (MFP) was compared to that of a benchmark commercial toothpaste containing 2% potassium ion, dosed as 3.75% potassium chloride, and 1450 ppm fluoride as sodium fluoride (NaF). METHODS: An eight-week clinical study, with seventy-seven patients, was conducted in Mississauga, Canada using a double-blind, stratified, two-treatment design. Tactile sensitivity assessments, as well as air blast sensitivity assessments, were used to compare the efficacy of the two products. RESULTS: This clinical study demonstrated that the new toothpaste, containing 8.0% arginine and 1450 ppm MFP in a calcium carbonate base, provided a significant reduction in dentin hypersensitivity when used over a period of eight weeks. The study also showed that this new arginine toothpaste provided significantly greater reductions (p < 0.05) in dentin hypersensitivity in response to tactile (16.2%, 22.4%, and 21.4%) and air blast (16.2%, 29.2%, and 63.4%) stimuli than the benchmark commercial toothpaste containing 2% potassium ion and 1450 ppm NaF in a silica base, after two, four, and eight weeks of product use, respectively. CONCLUSION: A new toothpaste containing 8.0% arginine, calcium carbonate, and 1450 ppm fluoride, as sodium monofluorophosphate (MFP), provides significantly greater hypersensitivity relief (p < 0.05) compared to a commercial sensitive toothpaste containing 2% potassium ion after two, four, and eight weeks of product use.