Liquid sodium fluoride versus its hydrogel form for managing postoperative root sensitivity following periodontal flap surgery

Abstract

Objective This study aims to assess the impact of two forms of sodium fluoride - liquid and hydrogel on root sensitivity following periodontal flap surgery, a treatment for periodontal disease that can cause postoperative tooth sensitivity.<br /> Materials and methods This randomized, double-blind, split-mouth clinical trial involved 15 participants undergoing flap surgery in three mouth quadrants over six weeks. Before suturing, the operated quadrants were allocated to three groups: liquid sodium fluoride (Group 1), sodium fluoride hydrogel (Group 2), and normal saline (control Baseline dental sensitivity measurements were taken before surgery and postoperatively at weeks 1, 2, 4, and 6. Patients were also questioned about their preferred side of eating. Data analysis used SPSS software version 27 with Friedman, Kruskal-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney U tests at 5 significance.<br /> Results Cold test sensitivity significantly decreased over weeks one to six in the liquid sodium fluoride and hydrogel groups (p < 0.05) This reduction was not significant in the normal saline group (p = 0.156) The decrease in cold sensitivity among the three study methods showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) No significant differences were observed in heat test results among the groups, and for the tactile test, differences were only significant in the second week post-surgery (p = 0.043)<br /> Conclusion Based on the results, applying liquid and hydrogel forms of sodium fluoride significantly reduced dental sensi-tivity after periodontal flap surgery over six weeks. The reduction in root sensitivity was more pronounced with the hydrogel form compared to both the control and liquid sodium fluoride groups.