1. The prevalence of dentin hypersensitivity in general dental practices in the northwest United States.
- Author
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Cunha-Cruz J, Wataha JC, Heaton LJ, Rothen M, Sobieraj M, Scott J, and Berg J
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Community-Based Participatory Research statistics & numerical data, Cross-Sectional Studies, Dental Occlusion, Traumatic epidemiology, Female, General Practice, Dental statistics & numerical data, Gingival Recession epidemiology, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Northwestern United States epidemiology, Pain Measurement, Prevalence, Risk Factors, Self Report, Sex Factors, Tooth Bleaching statistics & numerical data, Tooth Wear epidemiology, Young Adult, Dentin Sensitivity epidemiology
- Abstract
Background: The prevalence of dentin hypersensitivity is uncertain, yet appropriate diagnosis and treatment of dentin hypersensitivity require accurate knowledge regarding its prevalence. The authors conducted a study to estimate the prevalence of dentin hypersensitivity in general dental practices and to investigate associated risk factors., Methods: The authors conducted a cross-sectional survey of 787 adult patients from 37 general dental practices within Northwest Practice-based Research Collaborative in Evidence-based DENTistry (PRECEDENT). Dentin hypersensitivity was diagnosed by means of participants' responses to a question regarding pain in their teeth and gingivae, and practitioner-investigators conducted a clinical examination to rule out alternative causes of pain. Participants recorded their pain level on a visual analog scale and the Seattle Scales in response to a one-second air blast. The authors used generalized estimating equation log-linear models to estimate the prevalence and the prevalence ratios., Results: The prevalence of dentin hypersensitivity was 12.3 percent; patients with hypersensitivity had, on average, 3.5 hypersensitive teeth. The prevalence of dentin hypersensitivity was higher among 18- to 44-year olds than among participants 65 years or older; it also was higher in women than in men, in participants with gingival recession than in those without gingival recession and in participants who underwent at-home tooth whitening than in those who did not. Hypersensitivity was not associated with obvious occlusal trauma, noncarious cervical lesions or aggressive toothbrushing habits., Conclusions: One in eight participants from general practices had dentin hypersensitivity, which was a chronic condition causing intermittent, low-level pain. Patients with hypersensitivity were more likely to be younger, to be female and to have a high prevalence of gingival recession and at-home tooth whitening., Practical Implications: Given dentin hypersensitivity's prevalence, clinicians should diagnose it only after investigating all other possible sources of pain.
- Published
- 2013
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