Dentists’ education, knowledge, and professional behavior concerning the diagnosis and treatment of dentin hypersensitivity: An exploration

Abstract

Objectives: Dentin hypersensitivity (DH) affects patients’ oral health‐related quality of life, but is not always optimally treated in dental offices. The objectives were to assess dentists’ DH‐related education, knowledge, and professional behavior and explore relationships between education, knowledge, and behavior.Methods: Survey data were collected from 220 ADA members in the United States. Descriptive and correlational analyses were performed.Results: About half of the respondents agreed/strongly agreed that their dental school had educated them well about diagnosing DH in classroom‐based (53.6%) and clinical settings (48.9%). Lower percentages agreed being well educated about treating DH (40.9%/37.3%). The majority self‐educated themselves about DH after dental school by attending continuing education courses in person or online (60.6%/36.8%), reading articles (64.1%), or consulting with colleagues (59.6%). The majority knew that patients with DH describe their pain as stimulated (91.4%) and that recessed gingiva (89.6%), abrasion lesions (72.3%), tooth whitening (63.1%), erosion lesions (58.6%), and abfraction lesions (51.4%) are risk factors for DH. The majority diagnosed DH with patient self‐reporting, confirmed by exams (81.8%), applying air blasts (53.7%), or cold‐water (52.3%). They treated patients with DH often/very often with over‐the‐counter desensitizing agents (90%), and prescribing fluoride formulations toothpaste (82.8%) and/or potassium nitrate toothpastes (60.9%). In their offices, the majority (73.2%) educated their patients often/very often about DH and used fluoride dental varnish for treating DH (71.8%). The more recently respondents had graduated from dental school, the more positively they described their dental school education (r = 0.14; p < 0.05), the more ways to diagnose DH they used (r = 0.16; p < 0.05) and the more often they used fluoride dental varnish in their offices (r = 0.23; p < 0.001). The more dentists had educated themselves, the more methods for diagnosing DH they used (r = 0.23; p < 0.001) and the more often they used potassium oxalate products (r = 0.19; p < 0.01), Arginine/calcium products (r = 0.19; p < 0.01) and dentin bonding (r = 0.22; p < 0.001).Conclusions: More recently graduating from dental school correlates with more positive evaluations of DH‐related dental school education. The finding that most dentists engage in self‐education about DH after dental school should motivate dental educators to increase education about this topic not only in dental school, but also in continuing education courses.