Background: Fluoride has been recognized as a desensitizer; however, no study has addressed its effects to decrease tooth sensitivity when compared with a placebo in a double-blind randomized clinical study.
Methods: The authors divided 30 participants into two groups: one that received a placebo and another that was treated with fluoride. All patients used 16 percent carbamide peroxide (CP) in a custom-fitted tray until their teeth achieved shade A1 or lighter. After daily removal of CP, the patients wore a tray containing either sodium fluoride or placebo for four minutes. The authors statistically analyzed the perception of the intensity of tooth sensitivity and the weekly shade changes for both groups, as well as the intensity of tooth sensitivity (alpha = .05).
Results and conclusions: The use of fluoride gel did not affect the whitening efficacy of the CP. The authors observed no difference between the groups receiving the placebo and the fluoride treatment in terms of tooth sensitivity experience (P > .05); however, patients who received the placebo had a higher-intensity tooth sensitivity than that of patients who received the fluoride (P < .001). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS. The use of 1.23 percent sodium fluoride after each bleaching regimen does not affect the bleaching efficacy of CP. Also, the use of sodium fluoride gel reduces the intensity of tooth sensitivity.