Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of grape seed extract (GSE) and its combination with low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in alleviating pain from dentin hypersensitivity (DH) compared to LLLT alone. METHODS: Patients aged 20-50 years with at least three sensitive teeth in different quadrants and baseline pain scores ≥ 2 on the visual analog scale (VAS) were recruited. Each tooth was randomly allocated to one of three groups: LLLT + placebo, GSE + placebo, or GSE + LLLT. Pain scores were recorded on Days 1, 3, and 7 using cold and air spray tests. RESULTS: The GSE + LLLT group demonstrated the greatest reduction in pain sensitivity, showing a 72.8% decrease for air spray and 59.51% for the cold test at Day 3, compared to the LLLT or GSE groups alone. However, there were no statistically significant differences (P > 0.05) in pain score reduction among the groups at any time point. DISCUSSION: The combination of GSE and LLLT may enhance early pain reduction in DH compared to individual treatments, but the improvement was not statistically significant. GSE presents a potentially feasible and patient-friendly alternative for DH management, warranting further clinical validation. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Data were collected and analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software program, Version 20.0 (IBM, Chicago, Illinois). General linear model-repeated measure ANOVA was carried out to assess the reduction in DH pain score among individual interventions and the comparison between the three interventions. The significance level was set at p < 0.05. CONCLUSION: While GSE combined with LLLT showed the greatest numerical reduction in DH pain scores, the difference was not statistically significant. Further large-scale studies are recommended to confirm the clinical benefits of this combination. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05927831.