The effect of periodontal dressing containing 2% sodium fluoride in treatment of dentin hypersensitivity following periodontal surgery

This study was designed to investigate the effects of the periodontal dressing containing 2% sodium fluoride (NaF dressing) on patients with dentin hypersensitivity following periodontal surgery, and on the experimentally exposed dentin of dogs, respectively.The results were as follows.1) The NaF dressing was significantly more effective in relieving the incidence and severity of dentin hypersensitivity in patients who had undergone periodontal surgery.2) The NaF dressing was applied to dog dentins which were exposed fleshly. The teeth were extracted after 4 weeks and processed for microradiography, electron microscopy and selected-area electron diffraction. Microradiographs showed that the surface of exposed dentin was hypermineralized.Dentinal tubules of this layer were partly or completely obtulated with the calcified materials and/or the various shaped mineral cristals. It was shown that these calcified materials and cristals had apatite structure similar to the hydroxyapatite of dentin by selected-area diffraction.It was concluded from these results that the NaF dressing enhanced the calcification on the surface of exposed dentins and the obturation of dentinal tubules, and resulted in the reduction of dentin permeability and the blockage of the stimulation from dentin surface to the pulp.