Abstract
Abstract
Background
Dentin hypersensitivity is a prevalent and debilitating condition affecting 10–30% of the adult population worldwide, yet the comparative short-term clinical effectiveness of emerging natural and remineralizing desensitizing agents remains incompletely characterized. This study evaluated and compared the clinical effectiveness of theobromine gel, a hydroxyapatite-fluoride-xylitol remineralizing paste (Remin Pro), and their combination in the management of dentin hypersensitivity.
Methods
A single-center, double-blind, randomized clinical study was conducted in 171 teeth from 20 patients with confirmed dentin hypersensitivity, randomly allocated to three equal groups (
n
= 57 per group) receiving either theobromine gel, a hydroxyapatite-fluoride-xylitol remineralizing paste (Remin Pro), or their combination. Three applications were administered sequentially at baseline, one week, and one month. Pain intensity in response to tactile, evaporative, and cold-thermal stimuli was assessed at four time points: before treatment, immediately after the first application, after the second application at one week, and after the third application at one month, using the Verbal Rating Scale and Visual Analogue Scale. Data were analyzed using nonparametric tests and are reported as median and interquartile range.
Results
All three treatment modalities produced a statistically significant, progressive reduction in dentin hypersensitivity over time. Theobromine demonstrated significantly greater pain reduction than Remin Pro after the first and second applications, most consistently in response to evaporative and cold-thermal stimuli. After the third application, all three groups achieved broadly comparable pain reduction, with no statistically significant differences in tactile stimulation or overall pain scores.
Conclusions
Within the limitations of this short-term study, Theobromine gel provides clinically faster desensitization than a hydroxyapatite-fluoride-xylitol remineralizing paste after initial applications, a distinction of practical relevance for patients requiring prompt pain relief. After three sequential applications, all agents achieve comparable clinical effectiveness, confirming that multi-application protocols are the standard of care regardless of agent selection. These findings support the use of theobromine as a viable, biocompatible alternative for the short-term management of dentin hypersensitivity and justify further investigation in long-term, placebo-controlled randomized trials.
Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04340869. Registered March 2, 2020.