Lasers

Lasers are increasingly used in the oral cavity. Four different kinds of light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation (lasers) have been used for the treatment of dentinal hypersensitivity with effectiveness ranging from 5.2 to 100%, depending on the laser type and parameters used.⁸⁵ The most common are: Nd-YAG (neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet), GaAIas (gallium/aluminum/arsenide), Er,Cr:YSGG (yttrium-scandium-gallium-garnet) and Erbium-YAG (yttrium-aluminum-garnet) lasers.^86-89 The mechanism of action of lasers in treating hypersensitivity is not very clear, but it has been proposed that the lasers coagulate the proteins inside the tubules and block the movement of fluid.

A 2011 systematic review of lasers for the treatment of sensitivity found only 3 randomized clinical trials for inclusion. The authors concluded that laser therapy can reduce dentinal hypersensitivity-related pain, but there is only weak evidence for its effectiveness and the placebo effect has to be taken into account.⁹⁰ In 2022, a systematic review of lasers as a definitive treatment for DH found 7 randomized controlled clinical trials to assess the efficacy of the Er,Cr:YSGG laser in reducing DH. The authors concluded that the YSGG laser reduced DH in all of the studies compared to baseline. The number of studies (7) included in the systematic review, the small sample sizes and the lack of control groups were pointed out as the main shortcomings. Authors suggested that long-term RCTs with a large sample size should be performed.⁹¹ Sajith et al conducted a comparative study on the safety and efficacy of the Erbium Laser therapy versus traditional treatments in managing DH in 2024. Results demonstrated a consistent reduction in VAS and tactile hypersensitivity scores, coupled with a favorable adverse event outcome which suggests that the Erbium laser is promising as a DH treatment. The authors also cautioned that future research should focus on validating these findings through robust clinical trials.⁹²

Cyanoacrylate

In 2023 a systematic review was conducted to determine the effectiveness of Cyanoacrylate in the treatment of DH. The authors compared cyanoacrylate to other treatment or placebo. Two randomized and 5 non-randomized clinical trials were analyzed. Although there was a limited number of studies in the scientific literature with appropriate methodological quality, the available evidence found cyanoacrylate to be effective in treating DH.⁹³