Dentists' perceptions of dentine hypersensitivity and knowledge of its treatment

Abstract

The aim of the present investigation was to determine by questionnaire, UK dentists' perception of Dentine Hypersensitivity (DH) and knowledge of its treatment. A total of 403 questionnaires were sent to a selected group of UK dentists who had either inquired about further postgraduate education or had attended a course at the Eastman Dental Institute/Hospital. A total of 181 of 403 dentists (44.9%) (118M; 36F, 17 no response, mean age 38.2 years [s.d. 8.97]) returned the questionnaire. About 92.8% (n=168) of responding dentists claimed to see patients with DH in their practice. According to the dentists' replies at least one of four of their patients suffered from the complaint. About 71.8% (n=130) of dentists reported that DH was a severe problem in at least 10% of their patients and that pain from DH lasted no more than 4 weeks. Most of responding dentists claimed to be asked about DH by their patients and stated that they offered advice or treatment to their patients. Nearly 87.3% (n=158) of responding dentists provided a wide range of treatment options/advice which included both in-office and over-the-counter (OTC) products. Popular responses included desensitizing pastes/gels, Topical F(-) varnishes and toothpastes/rinses/gels, advice on atraumatic tooth brushing, dentine bonding agents (DBA), glass-ionomer cements (GIC) and other unspecified restorations. Of the various in-office treatments Duraphat was the most cited choice of varnish/primer options. Sensodyne toothpaste was the most popular of the specified OTC products. Most dentists appeared to understand the aetiological features associated with DH and provided a wide range of factors including the effects of incorrect tooth brushing, dietary acids as well as the possible influence on non-dental topics such as stress. Most responding dentists believed that their advice on DH was generally effective although they did highlight that certain aspects on the condition were lacking such as appropriate scientific information including the prevention of DH and its treatment. The results from the present study highlight several discrepancies in the perception and knowledge of the treatment of DH between dentists and their patients. The results from this study are, however, reasonably consistent with those previously reported by Dutch investigators. The results from this study also highlighted a need for guidelines on the aetiology, prevention and treatment of DH for both dentists and their patients. The reported average frequency and duration of discomfort from DH by the responding dentists appeared to be consistent with the available literature.

Moroccan dentist’s perception and management of dentin hypersensitivity

“…Our study showed that the premolars were the most frequently affected teeth, followed by incisors and molars which is in agreement with many studies that showed the same results and it has been suggested that this distribution pattern of DH may be related to toothbrushing habits, while premolars and buccal surfaces are likely to receive more attention during brushing [16,43,44] .…”

“…The majority of practitioners participating in our survey described dentin hyperesthesia as a pulsatile pain, and 25,47% confirmed it its transitory character in agreement with many other studies [16,43,44] .…”

Prevalence and perception of self reported dentine hypersensivity among dentate populations in South-western Nigeria

“…Overestimation might result from failure of the respondents to differentiate responses which followed true DH following erosive diet (either intrinsic or extrinsic) (16,17), with a much lower prevalence, from root sensitivity (RS), where it might be almost 100% (5,18). It could also be due to other underlying conditions for which sensitivity is a symptom such as cracked tooth syndrome, fractured restoration, marginal leakage and chipped teeth (16,19). Hence, the prevalence obtained might actually be overstating the prevalence of true DH.…”

Dentin hypersensitivity: pain mechanisms and aetiology of exposed cervical dentin

“…Some individuals are known to be more obsessive regarding toothbrushing habits, particularly those with dentin hypersensitivity, regularly brushing three or more times a day [82, 83] and for longer periods of time than the average population [84], again predisposing individuals to more likelihood of permanent trauma and recession. The gingival biotype is rarely mentioned in dentin hypersensitivity studies and reviews, yet places a major role in gingival surgery risk assessment of recession [85–87].…”