Pereira Lores, PatriciaAlonso de la Peña, VíctorGancedo-Gancedo, TaniaVillasenín Sánchez, CarolinaBello-Castro, AlbaMartín Biedma, BenjamínCastelo Baz, Pablo2025-07-042025-07-042024-12-28Pereira-Lores, P., Alonso de la Peña, V., Gancedo-Gancedo, T., Villasenín-Sánchez, C., Bello-Castro, A., Martín-Biedma, B., & Castelo-Baz, P. (2025). A triple-blind randomized clinical trial comparing the efficacy of a desensitizing agent used with an at-home bleaching technique. The journal of evidence-based dental practice, 25(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebdp.2024.1020791532-3382https://hdl.handle.net/10347/42387Purpose The aim of this study was to determine whether a sustained-release desensitizing gel containing 3% potassium nitrate and 0.11% fluoride ion reduces the risk of tooth sensitivity without compromising the effectiveness of bleaching treatment. Methods Thirty-two patients were randomly assigned to 2 experimental groups: desensitizing gel and placebo. The desensitizing gel or placebo was applied for 30 minutes prior to the at-home vital bleaching gel application. A nightguard dental bleaching treatment (NGVB) using a 16% carbamide peroxide gel was performed for 6 hours over a 3-week period. Patients recorded their tooth sensitivity daily using a 5-point Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). Whiteness index measurements were obtained using a dental spectrophotometer on the upper canines (right and left). Results The overall risk of sensitivity was 37.5% in the desensitizing gel group compared to 87.5% in the placebo group, yielding a relative risk of 0.42 (95% CI 0.22-0.82), showing a statistically significant difference between the groups (P < .05). During the first week, patients in the placebo group exhibited a higher risk of experiencing mild sensitivity. However, no statistically significant differences in sensitivity intensity were observed overall or during the second and third weeks (P > .05). Regarding color change, the mean difference between groups in the first week was 5.25 (-0.22 to 10.71), in the second week 4.25 (-2.56 to 11.02), and in the third week 2.55(-4.11 to 9.22). No statistically significant differences were found between the groups at any time point (P > .05). Conclusions The use of a sustained-release desensitizing gel containing 3% potassium nitrate and 0.11% fluoride ion for 30 minutes prior to the bleaching agent effectively reduced sensitivity during at-home bleaching procedures. Furthermore, the desensitizing gel did not impact the effectiveness of the at-home bleaching treatment.eng© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY licenseAttribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/At-home bleachingDesensitizing agentsRandomized clinical trial.Tooth bleachingTooth sensitivityjournal article10.1016/j.jebdp.2024.1020791532-3390open access