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Review
. 2019 Sep-Oct;16(5):325-334.
doi: 10.18502/fid.v16i5.2272. Epub 2019 Oct 15.

Beyond the Relief of Pain: Dentin Hypersensitivity and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life

Paul Ikhodaro Idon  1 , Olawale Akeem Sotunde  2 , Temiloluwa Olawale Ogundare  3
Affiliations
Review

Beyond the Relief of Pain: Dentin Hypersensitivity and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life

Paul Ikhodaro Idon et al. Front Dent. 2019 Sep-Oct.

Abstract

Pain is a constant symptom of dentin hypersensitivity (DH), which is a common condition that affects daily life and negatively affects the quality of life (QoL). Diagnosis and outcome measurements following the treatment of the disease require accurate pain assessment. The definition of pain underlies the complexity of its measurement as different factors modulate daily experience. The reproducibility of the prescribed stimuli for inducing DH pain clinically is difficult to achieve. This pain mevaasurement is made with unidimensional scales that are inadequate to capture the other dimensions of pain. The only specific QoL tool available for DH still requires testing in other populations and cultures. This article reviews the appropriateness of the current methods of DH pain assessment and the tools that consider the other pain dimensions. It also looks at its impact on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of people with DH. The findings will create interest and facilitate research in this field of DH pain measurement and management.

Keywords: Dentine Hypersensitivity; Health Care; Health-Related Quality of Life; Oral Health; Outcome Assessment; Pain.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT None declared

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