Prevalence of Dentin Hypersensitivity Among Dental Students and Effectiveness of Tooth Desensitizing Agents

Abstract

Objectives Dentin hypersensitivity (DH) is a growing concern in Dentistry. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and effectiveness of different desensitizing agents of (DH) among undergraduate dental students. Materials and Methods This cross-sectional clinical study was conducted with 161 undergraduate dental students. A self-reporting questionnaire along with a clinical examination was performed to diagnose DH and determine the severity. The effectiveness of home-based and in-office desensitizers was evaluated by comparing the combined DH scale in the pre- and post-treatment periods. The data were analyzed for frequency, correlation, and T-test. Results The prevalence of DH in the tested population was 19.3%, predominantly in females. The Chi-Square test showed significance in gender and oral hygiene practice by the participants (p<0.05). However, none of the tested factors strongly correlated with DH in this population. The post-treatment combined DH scale (5.48±3.1) was statistically significant (p=0.0001) compared to the pretreatment scale (11.29±3.5). The effectiveness of SRA was 87%, and the remaining 13% of DH recovered using GLUMA. Conclusion The prevalence of DH was 19.3% without any strongly correlated etiology. Home-based and in-office desensitizers were effective in reducing DH in the tested population.