Ozonated Oil as a Desensitizing Protocol in External Dental Bleaching: A Clinical, Randomized and Double-Blind Study

Aims: This research aimed to evaluate the action of ozonized oil associated with an obliterating desensitizing agent in reducing post-dental bleaching sensitivity.

Study Design: This was a randomized, prospective, double-blind, split-mouth study, in which the patient and evaluator were blinded to the distribution of the groups.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Dentistry Clinics of the Local University from June to December 2021.

Methodology: Forty patients were selected and divided into two groups according to the desensitizing agent used: control group (GC) - potassium nitrate and sodium fluoride and treatment group (GT) - sunflower oil ozonized and glutaraldehyde. In-office bleaching was performed with 35% hydrogen peroxide in a single clinical session. The following variables were evaluated: I – the intensity of sensitivity at different times in the same group; II – the intensity of sensitivity at different times in different groups; III- global sensitivity; IV - worse pain and V - color change, which was evaluated at the beginning of treatment and one week after the end of the treatment with the help of a VITA color scale. The risk analysis of tooth sensitivity of both groups was compared using McNemar's exact test. To analyze the intensity of tooth sensitivity, the Wilcoxon and Friedman tests were used, P < 0,05.

Results: The study revealed that there were significant differences in the risk and degree of tooth sensitivity between the test and control groups. Out of the total participants, 14 did not experience sensitivity, while 66 did. The test group exhibited lower pain scores at 35 and 40 minutes compared to the control group. In the intragroup analysis, significant differences were found within both the test and control groups across multiple time intervals. The analysis of global sensitivity showed significant differences between the treatment approaches, with the group receiving the specific treatment demonstrating lower sensitivity values compared to the control group. However, there were no significant differences in the worst pain between the treatment approaches. Regarding bleaching effectiveness, there were no statistically significant differences between the test and control groups. The comparison did not show a significant variation in bleaching effectiveness.

Conclusion: The protocol showed promising results as a less invasive and discomfort-free method. However, the study was limited to using only one bleaching agent, and further research with different bleaching agents could provide additional insights.