Efficacy of topical drug application to manage in-office bleaching sensitivity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To answer whether the topical drug application can reduce in-office tooth bleaching sensitivity without impairing the color change. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This review was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42024524171). Two reviewers screened PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, and clinicaltrials.gov in March 2024 independently for randomized clinical trials investigating the efficacy of topical drug application to manage in-office tooth bleaching sensitivity. The risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane's Risk of Bias tool (RoB2). Certainty of the evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations: Assessment, Development, and Evaluation tool (GRADE). The meta-analyses evaluated the bleaching sensitivity and color change with RevMan 5.4 software. RESULTS: 334 articles were retrieved. The final sample was composed of four articles. Tested drugs were Otosporin, Eugenol, Ibuprofen with arginine, and Dipyrone. The meta-analysis evidenced no difference in bleaching sensitivity up to 1 h (MD, -0.39; 95% CI, -0.89, 0.11), 24 h (MD, -0.26, 95% CI, -0.71, 0.18), or 48 h (MD, 0.00, 95% CI, -0.16, 0.16). Meta-analysis for color change evidenced no difference for color change (MD, 0.03; 95% IC, -0.56, 0.61). The risk of bias was low. The certainty of the evidence was rated moderate for bleaching sensitivity and high for color change. CONCLUSIONS: Although topical drug application did not impair color change, it was ineffective in reducing in-office tooth bleaching sensitivity. CLINICAL RELEVANCE topical drug application on dental enamel is not an effective approach in reducing bleaching sensitivity, but several modifications can be made in future studies to possibly achieve a better outcome.