hygiene the international C.E. magazine of dental hygiene

I 17hygiene 1_2013 C.E. article_ hypersensitivity I _Tooth hypersensitivity caused by exposed den- tinal tubules is prevalent in the adult population, affectingasmanyasoneinthreeadults.1 Periodontal patients have historically demonstrated the highest prevalence, with 60–98 percent of patients report- ingsensitivity.2 Thishigherprevalenceinperiodontal patients is expected, given the exposure of the root surface resulting from both the disease process and the treatment of the disease. Mostdentalprofessionalsperceivethatthenum- ber of general-population patients experiencing sensitivity is growing.1 Such an increase in preva- lenceinthegeneralpopulationmightalsohavebeen anticipated, particularly given the increasing usage of tooth-whitening products and the increasing consumption of acidic foods and beverages (e.g., fresh fruits, juices, carbonated beverages), which promotesaciderosionofthetoothstructure,aseach isrecognizedasacontributingorcausativefactorfor dentin hypersensitivity.1 Dentin hypersensitivity is characterized by short, sharppainarisingfromexposeddentininresponseto stimuli — typically thermal, evaporative (movement of air over the tooth), tactile, osmotic or chemical – whichcannotbeattributedtoanyotherdentaldefect or disease.3 For hypersensitivity to be experienced, two processes must have occurred: 1) exposure of the dentin, typically resulting from gingival reces- sion and 2) opening of the dentinal tubules, usually through loss of the smear layer, predominantly from acid challenges.4 Any tooth may be affected, but the most common sites for dentin hypersensitiv- ity are the buccal cervical areas of the cuspids and premolars.5 Surprisingly, a majority of patients do not seek treatment to relieve their dentin hypersensitivity pain.5 The subtle onset of the sensitivity allows for the unconscious development of coping strategies tominimizethediscomfort,suchasavoidanceofice, drinking through straws and brushing with warm water.7 Additionally, patients may not perceive the sensitivity to be a severe problem, or conversely, they may fear it is a sign of a more severe problem and choose to tolerate it rather than seek invasive treatment.6 Given the increase in prevalence of dentin hy- Continuous care strategy to manage dentinal hypersensitivity Author_Gail Y. Malone, RDH, BS This article qualifies for C.E. credit.TotaketheC.E.quiz,log on to www.dtstudyclub.com. Subscribers to the magazine may take this quiz for free and willbeemailedanaccesscode after the magazine’s release. If you do not receive the code, contact support@dtstudyclub. com. Non-subscribers may take the quiz for $20. You can accessthequizbyusingtheQR code below. _c.e. credit part III