Understanding and managing dentin hypersensitivity

Dental hygienists frequently encounter clients who present with one or several sensitive teeth. These clients often rely on the dental hygienist to help determine the cause and to provide supportive treatment to relieve their discomfort. Therefore, it is essential for dental hygienists to fully understand the complexity of dentin sensitivity, be well informed about treatment approaches, and have an appreciation of the difficulties inherent in designing and conducting clinical hypersensitivity trials. Difficulties in designing hypersensitivity research have precluded a definitive answer concerning a best treatment approach. The purpose of this course is to present dental hygienists with current information about the pain of sensitive teeth and the associated differential diagnosis. The theory of pain transmission, etiology of dentin sensitivity, professional and self-care treatment modalities, and natural remission of tooth sensitivity will be discussed. Tooth and pulp biology will be reviewed as a means of explaining treatment and management approaches. At completion of this course, as measured by a post-test, participants with be prepared to apply the knowledge gained to their evidence-based practice to positively impact the oral health of their clients.