Perioperative use of an anti-inflammatory drug on tooth sensitivity caused by in-office bleaching: a randomized, triple-blind clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of etoricoxib 60 mg on tooth sensitivity (TS) caused by in-office bleaching. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A triple-blind, parallel design, randomized clinical trial was conducted on 30 healthy, young adults who received either a placebo or etoricoxib. The drugs were administered 1 h before the bleaching process and after 24 h. Treatment was performed with 35 % hydrogen peroxide gel. The TS was recorded on three scales: VAS, 0-4, and 0-100. Shade evaluations were performed before and 30 days after bleaching with a visual shade guide and a spectrophotometer. The percentage of patients who reported TS at least once during treatment and the TS intensity were evaluated by Fisher's exact and Mann-Whitney U tests, respectively. Tooth color changes were evaluated by repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the percentage of patients with TS, intensity of TS, and color between the groups. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The anti-inflammatory medication etoricoxib 60 mg was unable to reduce the presence and intensity of TS. NCT01300780 (protocol No. 17838/2010).