Desensitizing Agents

Abstract

Dentin hypersensitivity (DH) is the short, sharp pain derived from exposed dentin in response to chemical, thermal, tactile, or osmotic stimuli which cannot be explained as arising from any other dental defect or disease^1-3. The development of DH involves two phases: lesion localization and lesion initiation. Lesion localization is the enamel and/or root surface denudation by attrition, abrasion, erosion, and abfraction resulting in the exposure of the underlying dentin, while lesion initiation follows dentine exposure and the dentinal tubules become patent from the pulp to the oral environment^{4, 5}. Treatment of DH has two approaches which are removal of the etiological factor and prevention of DH, and application of desensitizing agents. Desensitizing Agents could be applied at home or in office. Desensitizing Agents treats DH by two mechanisms which are disturbance of the neural response to stimulus, and occlusion of dentinal tubules to block the flow of tubular fluid.