Clinical effectiveness of a potassium chloride containing chewing gum in the treatment of hypersensitive teeth.

Dental hypersensitivity has been observed in an increasing number of younger patients over the past few decades. The reasons for this include forced or false tooth-brushing techniques, and abrasions caused by bruxism or orthodontic procedures. The aim of the present study was to assess the possible benefits of a potassium chloride (KCl) containing chewing gum in dental hypersensitivity. The study population consisted of 59 selected university students (age: 25 +/- 4.4 years). Each subject suitable for entry into the study had more than 3 teeth sensitive to thermal stimulation (air stimulus range of 30-80 mm on a 100mm visual analogue scale (VAS), and showed signs of facial/cervical erosion, abrasion and/or gingival recession. Exclusion criteria were daily doses of medication, teeth with deep restorations, a gingival score of > 2, or periodontal surgery within the past 6 months. The total number of hypersensitive teeth was 217. Over a period of 3 weeks the subjects brushed with a non-desensitising toothpaste and, in addition, used the KCl chewing gum up to 6 times daily for 10 min on each occasion. This was followed by a period of 3 weeks of non-desensitising toothpaste use alone. The subjects were questioned on the severity of intraoral pain and asked to indicate the intensity of the pain on the VAS (baseline, 1, 3 and 6 weeks). Mean thermal sensitivity at baseline was 54.5 +/- 9 mm. There was a drop to 40.8 mm ( 1.9) after 1 week and to 28.6 mm (+/- 2) after 3 weeks. The reduction was statistically significant (p <0.001) at both measurement points. The mean rating increased to 29.1 mm after 6 weeks. The results of this study demonstrate that the daily use of a KCl containing chewing gum is a useful non-invasive method of reducing dental hypersensitivity over an extended period of time.