Hypersensitive dentinal pain attenuation with potassium nitrate.

Dentinal hypersensitivity occurs when gingival recession exposes dentin at the cervical margins of teeth. Twenty-four periodontal patients, with postoperative hypersensitive dentin were treated by burnishing saturated potassium nitrate (KNO3) to relieve pain. Using a visual analogue scale with participants acting as their own control, a subjective assessment of pain was measured and compared before and after KNO3 application. Thirty-six regions involving 98 teeth were assessed. A significant reduction of sensitivity and pain was achieved by using a saturated KNO3 solution (p < .0001 Student-t).