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The reproducibility of methods of assessment for cervical dentine hypersensitivity
M Ide1, R F Wilson, F P Ashley
1Department of Periodontology and Preventive Dentistry, Guy's, King's and St. Thomas' Dental Institute, King's College London, UK. mark.ide@kcl.ac.uk
Background:
Many agents and toothpaste formulations have been proposed for treatment of dentine hypersensitivity. However, studies have reported equivocal or contradictory results, potentially related to a lack of clinical efficacy for agents being tested, poor study design or the use of assessment techniques which are unable to distinguish longitudinal changes in dentine hypersensitivity.
Aim:
To investigate the reproducibility of commonly used measurement protocols for dentine hypersensitivity on single or multiple teeth. In addition, newly-developed controlled air and cold fluid stimuli were investigated.
Methods And Materials:
Standardised pain stimulation techniques were used in 2 investigations with 63 and 42 subjects, respectively. The reproducibility of perceived hypersensitivity before and following stimulation was recorded over time periods of 14 and 2 days, respectively, using visual analogue scales and threshold techniques.
Results:
Subject demographics resembled those reported in other hypersensitivity investigations. Analysis using several measures of reproducibility indicated that subject-based reproducibility was limited, even when the stimuli were standardised. However, the data are consistent with the findings of investigations on pain assessment in other fields.
Conclusions:
The reproducibility of subjects in clinical trials of dentine hypersensitivity may therefore contribute to difficulties in establishing treatment efficacy of agents in clinical trials.
