The neurophysiological basis and the role of inflammatory reactions in dentine hypersensitivity

Recent studies indicate that intradental A-type nerve fibres are responsible for the sensitivity of dentine and are activated by fluid movements in dentinal tubules (hydrodynamic mechanism). The patency of the tubules affects dentine sensitivity to a great extent. Both A delta- and A beta-type nerve fibres respond to dentinal (hydrodynamic) stimulation in a similar way. Only a few studies have been made on the regional sensitivity of dentine or the receptive areas of intradental nerve fibres. The results indicate that the fibres innervating different parts of coronal dentine are equally sensitive to dentinal stimulation but those in the cervical area may be less responsive. Inflammation in the pulp can considerably alter dentine sensitivity. In dog teeth with chronically exposed dentine, nerve responses to hydrodynamic stimulation were reduced although other functional changes indicated nerve sensitization. This may be due to spontaneously occurring changes in the exposed dentine that block the tubules. In acute experiments on cat and dog teeth with open dentinal tubules, certain inflammatory mediators increase the sensitivity of the responding nerve fibres. It seems that intradental C-fibres do not respond to hydrodynamic stimulation of dentine. They are polymodal and activated when external stimuli reach the pulp proper. They could perhaps mediate the dull pain connected with pulpitis. However, they might also have an important modifying effect on dentine sensitivity because they can release neuropeptides, which function in the inflammatory reactions.