An In Vitro Comparison of A Novel Self-Assembling Peptide Matrix Gel and Selected Desensitizing Toothpastes in Reducing Fluid Flow by Dentine Tubular Occlusion

Background: The objective of the present in vitro study was to evaluate the ability of a novel self-assembling peptide matrix gel with calcium phosphate in effectively occluding dentine tubules compared to selected desensitizing toothpastes. Methods: Mid-coronal dentine discs with a thickness of 1 mm were sectioned from caries-free human molars. The discs were etched with 6% citric acid for 2 minutes, halved and subjected to a 2-minute brushing with a novel gel (SAPM) and three selected desensitizing toothpastes ([SRP], [SRR] and [CSP]). The ability of the desensitizing gel and toothpastes to occlude the dentine tubules was assessed and compared before and after brushing using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) on both etched and fractured dentine surfaces. The SEM observations were supplemented by hydraulic conductance measurements using a modified Pashley model before and after tooth brushing (n=5). Results: The results demonstrated that there was a reduction in both the number and the diameter of the open dentine tubules, which was evident for all the treated dentine discs. The particles that occluded the open dentine tubules, however had different morphologies and distribution. The self-assembling peptide matrix gel (SAPM) demonstrated the greater reduction in the number of open tubules compared to the other desensitizing toothpastes. Reductions in the hydraulic conductance measurements were observed for all tested materials (mean [SD, %]: SAPM 55.1 [12.5], SRP 64.9 [18.5], SRR 39.1 [17.1] and CSP 27.6 [6.8]). No statistically differences were observed between the SAPM and SRP, SRR toothpastes (paired t-Test; ≤0.05) although a significant difference was noted between the SAPM and the CSP toothpastes. There was an overall trend for reduction for the SAPM compared to the SRR toothpaste. Conclusion: The results would suggest that a novel self-assembling peptide matrix gel (SAPM) was effective in blocking the dentine tubules and may therefore have the potential to be an effective desensitizing product for the treatment of Dentine Hypersensitivity.