Development of the Chinese version of the Dentine Hypersensitivity Experience Questionnaire

The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and the validity of the Chinese version of the Dentine Hypersensitivity Experience Questionnaire (DHEQ). After translation and cross-cultural adaptation following international guidelines, 110 patients with dentine hypersensitivity were recruited to complete the questionnaire. The reliability of the Chinese version of the DHEQ was evaluated using internal consistency and test-retest methods. Construct validity was determined based on factor analysis, discriminative validity (by comparing the subscale scores difference in the degree of sensitivity being investigated), and convergent validity (by analyzing the correlation between DHEQ subscale scores and the global rating of oral health question). Cronbach's alpha value (internal reliability) for the total DHEQ score was 0.95 and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) value (test-retest reliability) was 0.85. Construct validity was determined by factor analysis, extracting eight factors, accounting for 74% of the variance. All items had factor loadings of >0.40. In addition, the Chinese version of the DHEQ was found to be valid for distinguishing patients with varying degrees of dentine hypersensitivity. In terms of convergent validity, the impact scale was significantly highly correlated to the global oral health rating. The results suggest that the Chinese version of the DHEQ has satisfactory psychometric properties and is applicable for patients with dentine hypersensitivity in China.