Researchers based in South Korea recently tested the efficacy and the safety of a low-level laser-emitting toothbrush for the management of dentin hypersensitivity. They found that the use of the low-level laser emitting toothbrush is a safe and effective treatment option for the management of dentin hypersensitivity.
The prospective, double blind, randomized clinical trial looked at 96 individuals with hypersensitive teeth without caries or fracture. The subjects were randomly allocated to either the test group with a 635 nm per 6 mW laser-emitting toothbrush or the control group with the 635 nm per 12.9 ?W light-emitting diode (LED) toothbrush.
The researchers applied an air blast with a dental air syringe held 3 mm away from the selected tooth. A visual analogue scale (VAS: 0-10) was used to quantify subjective pain. The participants were given assessments at the screening visit and after 2 weeks and 4 weeks of using a test/control toothbrush.
The researchers found that the use of both control and test toothbrushes resulted in decreased discomfort after 4 weeks. In the test group, pain intensity scores decreased from 5.8 ± 1.2 to 2.3 ± 1.6, and in the control group, the scores decreased from 6.4 ± 1.3 to 5.5 ± 2.0 (P < 0.05). This decrease was significantly greater in the test group.
The researchers noted no significant adverse events or side effects.
