Clinical effectiveness of dentin sealer in treating dental root sensitivity following periodontal surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a commercially available light-cured, resin-based dentin sealer in the treatment of postoperative sensitivity of roots with gingival recession of different extent. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was a case control, randomized, blind design. A total of 62 patients with the presence of chronic periodontitis, who required periodontal surgery, participated in this study. All recipients underwent flap operation. After the periodontal surgery 641 teeth were selected for the study. The pain intensity was determined by using visual analogue scale (VAS). The extent of gingival recession was measured using William's periodontal probe. After recording the initial baseline VAS scores, the patients were randomly divided into two groups according to the materials used in the study. The resin-based dentin sealer in the test group was applied following the manufacture's recommendations. Water was used in the control (placebo) group. Hypersensitivity measurements on VAS were repeated 5 minutes, 7 and 30 days after the application of the materials. RESULTS: It was observed that the efficacy of the desensitizing material differed from placebo. The dentin sealer effectively reduced the root sensitivity. The statistically significant (p<0.001) decrease in the intensity of root sensitivity after the application of materials was noted in test and control groups. However, the difference in the reduction of pain intensity between the groups was significant and remained such throughout the study period. The root sensitivity on the day 7 and 30 in both groups showed little change compared to the measurements made right after the application of the materials. No significant difference in measurements of pain intensity in the presence of different extent of gingival recession was noted in none of the groups. CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that dentin sealer used provided quick and effective reduction in root sensitivity after the surgery and its desensitizing effect lasted beyond 30 days.