Evaluation of dentinal tubule occlusion by proargin (arginine bicarbonate): an sem study

Background: Dentin hypersensitivity is a common occurrence and is often a chief concern among patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the dentinal tubule occluding ability of Proargin (arginine bicarbonate) containing desensitizing dentifrices using scanning electron microscope. Methods: Forty-five 1mm thick dentine discs were obtained from orthodontically extracted human premolar teeth. Each disc was then split into two halves. One half was allotted to Group-1 (Control group) and the other half was allotted to Group-2 (Test group). GROUP 1: brushed without dentifrices. GROUP 2: brushed with dentifrices containing Proargin (arginine bicarbonate). After brushing for 2 minutes twice a day, the specimens were stored in artificial saliva. Specimens were analyzed after 7 days under SEM. Results: The proargin containing desensitizing agent significantly resulted in effective dentinal tubule occlusion. 84.36% of the dentinal tubules showed complete dentinal tubule occlusion, 10.24% showed partial occlusion and 5.40% remained unoccluded. Conclusion: The inclusion of proargin into a toothpaste formulation may be an effective approach to treat dentinal hypersensitivity as it showed high percentage of dentinal tubule occlusion.