A cross sectional study of dentin hypersensitivity among dental students and interns

Muhammad Ashraf Nazir；Khalid Almas；Muhammad Irfan Majeed；Abdul Majeed；Syed Zubairuddin Ahmed

Dentin hypersensitivity ； dental students ； interns

Journal of International Dental and Medical Research

11卷2期（2018 / 07 / 01）

376 - 382

英文

To evaluate the perceptions of dental students and interns about diagnosis and treatment of dentin hypersensitivity. In this cross-sectional study, participants were recruited from four dental colleges in Lahore, Pakistan. A self-administered validated questionnaire was used for data collection. Standard descriptive statistics were computed. Analytical statistical analysis was performed by using Pearson’s chi-square test. Mean age of participants was 23.48 ± 5.61 years. Most respondents 76.1% stated that they had seen patients with DH in the last 2-4 weeks. Eighty percent claimed that DH had an impact on the quality of life of patients while 64.7% thought that impact was moderate. Self-reporting of sensitivity by patients (66.7%) and dental examinations (66.3%) were the most frequently employed diagnostic tools. Dental caries (82.7%) and periodontal disease (74.5%) were most common conditions considered while performing differential diagnosis of DH. Education on adequate tooth brushing technique was regarded as the most common (74.1%) management strategy. Higher percentage of interns (68.2%) than students (31.8%) considered restorative treatment to manage DH (p=0.01). Results showed that 39.6% of respondents were either confident or very confident in treating the condition. DH is a frequently encountered oral condition in dental clinics. Participants demonstrated understanding about DH. However, majority lacked confidence in its successful management.