Young man smiling happily after dentist used desensitizing agents on his teeth

Dental Desensitizing Agents: What You Need to Know?

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Medically Reviewed By Colgate Global Scientific Communications

Are you feeling a sudden pain in one or more teeth while tasting ice cream or sipping hot coffee? It may be an indication of tooth sensitivity. Sensitive teeth often prevent you from enjoying hot, cold, or sour foods and drinks. You may have heard of desensitizing agents in professional treatments or oral care products. They are known to relieve sudden shocks of sensitivity pain.

Let us understand dental sensitivity and the workings and types of desensitizing agents. Read on to learn more about their benefits and how to choose the right one for your oral needs.

What is Dental Sensitivity?

Dental sensitivity, or dentin hypersensitivity, is a sudden pain or discomfort felt in one or more teeth while eating or drinking anything hot, cold, sour, sweet, or cold air breath. It is a common concern that mainly affects the premolar teeth rather than molars, canines, and incisors. 

In vitro clinical studies show a higher incidence of hypersensitivity in females than males and a greater prevalence in the 20–40 age group. The specimens were examined under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to assess the occluding ability and durability of the respective products.

Teeth sensitivity may result from tooth structure damage or a cracked tooth. Temporary discomfort may occur after dental treatments such as bleaching, fillings, or restorations. The loss of enamel, or cementum, can cause tooth structure damage. The enamel covers part of the teeth above the gum line, and the cementum protects the tooth roots below. Enamel loss is caused by acid exposure or toothbrush abrasion, whereas gingival recession damages the cementum.

The underlying dentin contains tiny tubular structures called dentinal tubules that reach the tooth pulp or nerve centre. As enamel or cementum wears away, it exposes the dentinal tubules to hot or cold external stimuli. This exposure disturbs the outward dentinal fluid flow from the tooth pulp and transmits a signal that is perceived as pain to the tooth nerves. Desensitizing agents are medications designed to relieve sensitivity by avoiding dentin exposure and the pain it causes.

Types of Desensitizing Agents

An ideal anti-sensitivity agent provides instant relief and long-term effects, is painless and easy to use, and does not irritate the pulp or stain the teeth.  Potassium nitrate, fluorides, bonding resins, and oxalates are popular desensitizing agents examples. They work in different ways to help you achieve relief from sensitivity. The medications used to relieve dental sensitivity also vary based on how they are delivered to the individual. There are various treatment modalities available which can be used at home or may be professionally applied.

  • At-Home: Treating tooth sensitivity at home may include over-the-counter anti-sensitivity agents such as desensitizing toothpaste, chewing gum, or mouthwash. They often contain compounds of fluoride, potassium, or chloride. Desensitizing toothpaste is usually recommended to be used with a soft toothbrush and minimal water to avoid dilution. If the at-home treatment does not show results in a few weeks, an in-office treatment may be necessary.

  • In-office: Professional treatment of dentin hypersensitivity aims to provide immediate relief from pain and discomfort. It often involves using materials such as composites, varnishes, and oxalates. Typical in-office treatments desensitise the exposed tooth root surface. Such treatments usually accompany the preparation of the tooth for restorations and before and after tooth bleaching treatments. 

How Desensitizing Agents Work?

The medications used to prevent the sensitivity of teeth differ in the way they work to provide relief from sudden shocks of pain. Some of them desensitise the tooth nerve and block the transmission of pain signals, while others work by plugging or occluding the dentinal tubules. Some agents are adhesives that seal the exposed dentin surface.  If you're wondering how to prevent sensitivity, the mechanisms of action of various desensitizing agents can be categorised as follows:

  • Nerve desensitizing: Compounds like potassium nitrate, used in toothpaste and dentifrice, desensitise the nerves to prevent sensitivity. They diffuse along the dentinal tubules and reduce the irritability of the tooth nerve fibres, reducing the pain.

  • Plugging dentinal tubules: Some compounds relieve sensitivity by plugging dentinal tubules. They include stannous fluoride, sodium fluoride, potassium oxalate, strontium chloride, calcium carbonate, arginine, calcium phosphate, nano-hydroxyapatite, and bioactive glasses.

  • Sealing the dentin: Some dentin adhesive materials include fluoride varnishes, composites, oxalic acid and resin, dentin bonding agents, and glass ionomer cement. They flow into the dentin tubules and seal the dentin surface to prevent sensitivity.

  • Precipitation of proteins: Some agents, such as silver nitrate and zinc chloride, precipitate calcium ions and proteins. These precipitates seal the dentine tubules, preventing fluid movement and avoiding the sensation of pain.

For some people, dentists may recommend a proprietary desensitizing toothpaste. An example is the Colgate Sensitive Plus toothpaste, which instantly relieves dentin hypersensitivity. Its Pro-Argin formula works from the very first use by forming a plug of calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, and arginine to seal the dentin tubules and prevent sudden shocks of pain. It also builds a calcium-rich layer over the exposed dentin, promoting enamel repair and providing long-lasting relief with consistent use.

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Benefits of Using Desensitizing Agents

The various materials or compounds used in sensitive teeth treatment aim to provide instant and long-term relief from the sudden sensation of pain triggered by external stimuli, such as hot or cold. The benefits of using such materials to treat sensitive teeth include:

  • Provides instant relief: Many anti-sensitivity agents work by blocking the exposed dentinal tubules. These tubules allow stimuli to irritate the tooth nerves, causing them to transmit pain signals. The blockage helps reduce the perception of external stimuli as pain and the fear of pain while consuming anything hot or cold.

  • Protects and strengthens the enamel: Besides relieving sensitivity, desensitizing toothpaste that contains fluoride, potassium nitrate, or arginine helps strengthen the enamel. In the long run, it helps protect your teeth better against sensitivity.

  • Reduces sensitivity from dental treatments: Desensitizing agents can help prevent the temporary sensitivity that may result from some treatments, such as tooth bleaching or restorations. Dentistry often uses these compounds along with bleaching agents or restorations to help the individual overcome the temporary sensitivity felt after the treatment and promote the natural remineralization of the enamel through saliva.

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Choosing the Right Desensitizing Agent

The underlying causes and extent of dentin hypersensitivity may vary from person to person. Similarly, the effects of desensitizing agents may differ among individuals. Choosing the right desensitizing agent requires a thorough clinical evaluation of each individual's unique oral condition. Treating the underlying cause of sensitivity is essential for long-term relief.

In some people, dentin exposure results from enamel damage, leading to cervical sensitivity. In others, gum recession and cementum damage from periodontal disease lead to sensitivity. Before selecting an over-the-counter product, it is ideal to consult a dentist to find out what works best for your oral condition and needs.

Dental sensitivity causes sudden pain when eating hot or cold foods. It results from tooth structure damage, providing external stimuli with open access to the underlying soft tissues and tooth nerves. The management of dentin hypersensitivity involves using desensitizing agents for in-office treatments and designing over-the-counter products such as toothpaste and mouthwash. Getting examined by a dentist is ideal to determine the right solution for instant and lasting relief.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What desensitizer do dentists use?

  2. Dentists use materials containing desensitizing agents, such as fluorides, oxalates, composites, bonding resins, and adhesives, to help relieve dentin hypersensitivity. They are also used with treatments like tooth bleaching and restorations to prevent temporary tooth sensitivity. They work by desensitizing the tooth nerves or dentinal tubule occlusion to reduce dentin permeability.

  3. What is an example of a desensitizer?

  4. Desensitisers used at home include toothpaste, mouthwash, or chewing gum that contain desensitizing agents. Some toothpaste contains potassium nitrate, which desensitises the tooth nerves. Compounds such as arginine, fluoride, and phosphates are ingredients in various products that relieve dentin sensitivity.

  5. What is the desensitizing agent in toothpaste?

  6. Many proprietary toothpastes that are available in India use one or more desensitizing agents to relieve teeth sensitivity. These include potassium nitrate, arginine, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, and fluoride compounds such as sodium fluoride and stannous fluoride.

  7. Is Colgate a desensitizing toothpaste?

  8. Colgate’s Sensitive Plus is a desensitizing toothpaste that provides instant relief from sensitivity from the first use. It contains Pro-Argin technology that seals the dentin tubules with a plug of arginine, calcium phosphate, and calcium carbonate. Arginine builds a calcium-rich layer over the exposed tooth structure,  promotes enamel repair, prevents dental caries, and provides long-term relief with regular use.