Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Dear authors,

Congratulations for your well-designed study. Dentin hypersensitivity is a frequently encountered dental problem, affecting patients of different ages and its treatment is a matter of intense debate. Your in vitro study has important clinical consequences and might help dental specialists in providing proper treatment for these patients. The study design is according to latest recommendations, I appreciated the investigation protocol and also the recognition of your study limitations. 

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments

Sentence `Dissimilar differences of 26 calcium, phosphate, carbon, and oxygen ion concentrations among the three tested toothpastes…..`, is confusing, does author mean varying degree of difference with phrase `dissimilar differences`?

 

Replace  pathogeny with pathogenesis

Two important reports https://doi.org/10.1021/nn505015e and DOI: 10.2174/1381612822666151210124001 on Nano products in oropharmacology and their interactions with the oral microenvironment, clinical applications, hazards, and benefits needs to be cited along with reference 23 in sentence `Nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HAp) was 55 considered a promising active ingredient used for the treatment of DH due to the high biocompatibility and bioactivity [23]`

Can authors include in the table 1 the content of each chemical present in three different toothpaste applied in-group 1-3. It will provide researcher a better prospect of content-based experimental design to evaluate nanomaterial based dental products.

Results section

Page 5, at many instances author mention (p=0.000). A p-value simply tells the strength of evidence in support of a null hypothesis. If the p-value is less than the significance level, we reject the null hypothesis. Therefore, when one get a p-value of 0.000, he/she should compare it to the significance level, as (p=0.000) does not make sense. Please revisit the stats analysis mentioned on page 5.

discussion

In Discussion section, a recent review https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.201901862 explaining how machine learning and artificial intelligence based algorithm make it easier to verify null hypothesis, linear regression, and multivariate analysis in prediction biocompatibility of materials used in dentistry, medicine and biomedical prosthesis, cite this report along with references on page 6 line 206 along with references 13, 19].

Minor.

There are many abbreviations, which are unclear and had never explained in full form. Authors are suggested provide a list of abbreviation used before introduction section to make draft suitable to read.

In vitro shall be in italics throughout the draft

Page 6 line 175 typo oclusion, please check typos and grammatical errors through out the manuscript.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

Nanohydroxyapatite holds immense potential as an agent for the treatment of hypersensitivity as it is biocompatible. Daily application in the mean of dentifrice is advantageous and could have long term and continuous effectiveness. The study is interesting as it combined SEM and EDS to evaluate the tubular occlusion of 3 dentifrices. The images are of good quality and the result are well incorporated to answer the hypothesis question. Minor adjustments are necessary to improve the readability before acceptance for publication.

Methods:

SEM: Mention about kappa value between the agreement of two examiners.

Results:

L138-143: no need to describe the numbers between the groups.

Table 2: Please check the value. The group 4 score 5 is 100?

It would be better to present the p value between each group in terms of dentin tubule occlusion and ion concentration by a table.

Elaborate the legend of figures and table so that they can be understood when standing alone.

Fig 1: Describe how different is the tubular occlusion between the groups.

Table 2 and 3: talk about significance difference p between the group.

 Fig 1d: adjust the brightness and sharpness to be at the same level of 1a,b,c.

 Explain why group 3 exhibited significantly lower calcium and phosphorus ion concentration compared to that of group 1 and 2. Relate to their composition.

The manuscript is well written but will benefit more after proofreading to correct spelling, grammar and verb tense.

Spelling and syntax:

L18: (Karex (Dr Kurt)

L134: de dentin

Reference:

L57: consider to include the recent paper in the bibliography reporting the micrographs that were in alignment with the current study corroborating the tubule occlusion by nano-hydroxyapatite desensitizer.

Luong, M.N.; Huang, L.; Chan, D.C.N.; Sadr, A. In Vitro Study on the Effect of a New Bioactive Desensitizer on Dentin Tubule Sealing and Bonding. J. Funct. Biomater. 2020, 11, 38.

 

 

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

accept!!