# Desensitizing toothpaste

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desensitizing-toothpaste/311078>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [July 5, 2005, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desensitizing-toothpaste/311078 "2005-07-05T00:13:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desensitizing-toothpaste/311078/1 "2005-07-05T00:13:55Z")

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In this article: [What’s the best toothpaste?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/050701.html), Cecil says

> [@](#):
>
> Desensitizing agents. Research on one common ingredient, potassium nitrate, is mixed at best–a 2001 review concluded it was ineffective.

This is a surprising statement, since it certainly works for me. And probably for millions of others. I guess it’s all just a placebo effect…

I’ve been meaning to ask in GQ what the mechanism that NaNO[sub]3[/sub] desensitizes teeth with, but since it doesn’t work, that’s a foolish question. Never mind.

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**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desensitizing-toothpaste/311078/2 "2005-07-06T14:47:31Z")

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I chose to ignore the pain because it was better than using a toothpaste that tasted like sausage.