Sensitivity in Dental Bleaching and the Use of Anti-Inflammatory Agents

• Autor(a) principal: Souza, Géssica Dandara Medeiros de
• Data de Publicação: 2014
• Outros Autores: Santos, Letícia Mendes, Fernandes, Cleophatra Aquino, Dantas, Emanuelle Dayana Vieira, Galvão, M. R., Assunção, Isauremi Vieira de, Borges, Boniek Castillo Dutra
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UFRN
• Texto Completo: https://repositorio.ufrn.br/jspui/handle/123456789/21850
• topic: Tooth bleaching; Dentin sensitivity; Anti-Inflammatory agents

This study discusses the role of anti-inflammatory medications in reducing the sensitivity caused by tooth bleaching. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), the active principle in bleaching agents, reacts with dental enamel on contact and produces oxygen, in the form of free radicals, and water. Because of the low molecular weight of free radicals, as well as the porous nature and selective permeability of enamel, the free radicals pass into dentin and through the dentinal tubules, to the pulp. In response to these stimuli, defense cells in the pulp tissue promote the release of inflammatory mediators, resulting in short-term tooth sensitivity that may be experienced as acute pain. Anti-inflammatory medications will reduce the inflammatory response, as these drugs act on the production pathways of the mediators. Drugs such as ibuprofen and etoricoxib should be thus effective in reducing tooth sensitivity. Among the medications used, however, only ibuprofen seems to reduce tooth sensitivity from bleaching.