NovaMin bests potassium nitrate in desensitizer study

Aug 11, 2010

NovaMin, a calcium sodium phosphosilicate formula made by NovaMin Technology, reduced tooth sensitivity more effectively than potassium nitrate in a study published in the August 2010 Journal of the American Dental Association (Vol.141:8, pp. 995-999).

NovaMin already has approval from the U.S. FDA for the claim of being effective in reducing sensitivity, and it can also remineralize carious lesions, according to the company.

In the study, researchers from Chulalongkom Hospital and Chulalongkom University randomly divided 60 sensitivity patients into three groups. The first used both 100% NovaMin powder and NovaMin toothpaste. The second used a placebo powder (bicarbonate of soda) with NovaMin toothpaste. The third used the placebo powder with potassium nitrate toothpaste. Potassium nitrate is the active ingredient in some tooth-sensitivity toothpastes, such as Sensodyne (GlaxoSmithKline).

The researchers measured the patients' pain on a visual analog scale at one-week intervals for four weeks, both by pressing against exposed roots with explorers and touching them with swabs soaked in ice water.

All the groups improved. But those who used both forms of NovaMin had the most improvement. Their scores dropped from 8.10 to 1.25 for cold stimulus and 6.40 to 0.10 for tactile stimulus on a scale in which 0 was no pain and 10 was severe pain. In effect, their pain almost went away.

These improvements of 6.85 and 6.30 points were significantly larger than the improvements for the other groups (p < 0.013). The group that used only the NovaMin toothpaste had improvements of 5.00 points for cold and 5.10 for tactile. The potassium nitrate group had improvements of 2.50 for cold and 2.80 for tactile.

The potassium nitrate group in particular was left with noticeable pain: 4.25 points for cold stimulus and 2.60 for tactile stimulus.

The two treatments are believed to work differently. The leading explanation for potassium nitrate is that it depolarizes nerve impulses, blocking conduction of pain.

By contrast, NovaMin is calcium sodium phosphosilicate that provides calcium and phosphate ions when exposed to water. These ions form a hydroxycarbonate apatite, which occludes dentin tubules so that fluid can't flow through them to reach the pulp.

"NovaMin-containing toothpaste showed better performance in relieving tooth hypersensitivity than did the desensitizing toothpaste containing potassium nitrate," the researchers concluded. "Moreover, the application of 100% NovaMin powder enhanced the effectiveness of the NovaMin-containing toothpaste."