Perception of dentine hypersensitivity and its management by a group of Nigerian dentists

Dentists need to be aware of the management of dentine sensitivity in view of its high prevalence.

The study is to determine by questionnaire the perception of dentine hypersensitivity (DH) and its management by Nigerian Dentists.

A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 176 Nigerian Dentists who attended professional dental workshops in Lagos, Ife and Jos, Nigeria.

The majority (73.3%) of the responding dentists claimed to see patients with DH. Nearly half (45.1%) of the dentists mentioned cold as the commonest stimulus evoking pain in DH while 56.8% could correctly identified the hydrodynamic theory as the commonest theory of tooth hypersensitivity. Multifactorial aetiology identified as causing DH included tooth wear lesions, periodontal causes and bruxism. Treatment options suggested varies but non-invasive was mentioned more than the invasive techniques. Sensodyne toothpaste was the commonest desensitising paste mentioned. The knowledge of Nigerian Dentists was found to be associated with the specialty of the practitioners (p = 0.0004).

Dental Practitioners, especially the General Dental Practitioners should be enthusiastic in updating their knowledge of DH and the management. Prevention of DH by the Patients and the Dentists should be emphasised.