Prevalence of dentine hypersensitivity in different age groups

Abstract

Background: Hypersensitivity of teeth is a common condition. It indicates that enamel or cementum is not present on teeth cervical area and that dentine is exposed, therefore; it will be sensitive to stimuli like tactile, thermal, .etc. Materials & Methods: Hypersensitivity was recorded as present or absent on probing the surfaces of teeth in 500 subjects attending Oral diagnosis clinic, College of Dentistry, University of Baghdad. The subjects were examined for Tooth / root exposure, Oral hygiene status, and cervical abrasions. Results: Seventy five patients of 500 (15%) showed hypersensitive teeth and a total of 330 teeth were found to be sensitive. Hypersensitivity was observed in 16 years of age and more, with highest incidence between 26-35 years. The intraoral distribution showed that half hypersensitive teeth are the upper and lower premolars. The lower molars were the less affected teeth. Conclusion: The most affected intraoral areas on the vestibular surfaces of teeth, most frequently affected teeth are 1st premolars. Correlation with other factors like root exposure and cervical abrasion suggests the occurrence of hypersensitive teeth and to be enhanced by improper oral hygiene habits