Potassium Nitrate Reduces Sensitivity During and After in-Office Bleaching: A Triple Blind, Randomized Clinical Trial

This study aimed to assess the effect of using potassium nitrate in gel and dentifrice for reducing sensitivity during and after bleaching. Seventy-five patients were randomly divided into three groups according to treatment: Previous placebo gel + Colgate Total 12™ (PL + CT); Previous placebo gel + Sensodyne™ (PL + SD); Previous 5% potassium nitrate gel + Colgate Total 12™ (NT). Tooth sensitivity was registered in a verbal scale and a Visual Analogue Scale at the 40th minute, immediately after removing the bleaching gel, and 24 hours after each session. The descriptive analysis of color was performed and Cochran's Q test was applied for the comparative analysis of sensitivity. The Kruskal-Wallis test, Dunn's post-test, and Friedman's ANOVA were used for sensitivity intensity. The intergroup assessment showed that in PL + CT, the occurrence of sensitivity was significantly higher than in PL + SD and NT (p < 0.05). The assessment 24 hours after the second session showed that patients from PL + SD reported less sensitivity (40.0%) than NT (64.0%) and PL + CT (96.0%). As for color, all groups succeeded after 14 days. It can be concluded that the use of potassium nitrate in both presentations reduces tooth sensitivity.