The prevalence of dentine hypersensitivity in Chinese adults

Dentine hypersensitivity is a common oral problem. This study investigated the prevalence of dentine hypersensitivity in the adult population of Shanghai, China. A multi-stage, stratified, random sampling method was used to investigate the study population. A total of 2120 subjects were examined at 10 investigation points in Shanghai City. Subjects were divided into age groups (10 years per age group) and included the same number of male and female subjects in each group. Participants completed a dentine hypersensitivity questionnaire and underwent clinical examination. The diagnosis of dentine hypersensitivity was confirmed clinically as a sharp well-localised pain in response to administration of a blast of cold air from a triple syringe. Gingival recession of sensitive teeth was measured by a Williams periodontal probe. Among 2120 participants, 723 were diagnosed as having dentine hypersensitivity, indicating a prevalence of 34·1%. The male to female ratio of dentine hypersensitivity was 1:1·5. The prevalence of dentine hypersensitivity was highest in the 40- to 49-year age group at 43·9%. The number of teeth with dentine hypersensitivity was 3·2 per patient. Dentine hypersensitivity occurred predominantly in the premolars (49·6%), followed by the anterior teeth (30·5%). A total of 84·3% of dentine hypersensitive patients had gingival recession. The prevalence of dentine hypersensitivity in Shanghai adults was 34·1%, indicating that it is a common condition. Therefore, public education about the condition and effective treatment of dentine hypersensitivity are required.