by Juli Kagan, RDH
Dentin hypersensitivity is a painful dental condition often left untreated. Prevalence of dentin hypersensitivity in the adult population can range from 8 to 30 per cent, with the majority of the sufferers between 25 and 45 years of age.
Therefore, a clinician will see, on an average day, between one and three patients who show varying degrees of sensitivity. The condition is slightly more prevalent in women and periodontally involved patients.
With the population aging and keeping their teeth longer, there is an increased incidence for dentin hypersensitivity, recession and periodontal disease.
Additionally, the majority of this older population is on medications that cause xerostomia. Differences in salivary flow or composition may contribute to the development of hypersensitive dentin by affecting the formation of the smear layer.
The occurrence of pain from hypersensitive dentin can occur when patients brush their teeth, use dental floss, eat cold (or hot) foods, drink iced beverages, breathe in cold air and/or eat sour, acidic, sweet or sugary foods.
