To Assess the Knowledge of Dentists Regarding Dentinal Hypersensitivity in a Tertiary Dental Care Hospital in Bangalore City - A Cross Sectional Survey

ABSTRACT

Dental pain is most commonly associated with the carious destruction leading to inflammation of the pulp or can also be pain present post operatively; however, much of the dental pain can be attributed to dentinal hypersensitivity (DH). The prevalence of DH is high enough (72.5 % to 98 %) to warrant the development of effective treatment. Surveys among dental professionals worldwide suggest that many lack adequate knowledge about this condition and its management. This study aims to assess the knowledge and awareness of postgraduates and faculty regarding dentinal hypersensitivity in a tertiary dental care hospital in Bangalore. METHODSA descriptive cross-sectional survey was carried out among the staff and post graduate students at Rajarajeswari Dental College & Hospital, Bangalore during October 2019. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Institutional Ethical committee. All the staff and post graduate students who were present on the day of study were included in the study. Informed consent was obtained from all the study participants before the study and participation was entirely voluntary. RESULTSMajority of the participants routinely checked for the signs of DH (F - 77.2 % PG - 77 %) and considered DH as a serious problem (F - 87.5 % PG - 87 %). Participants also thought that DH has to be treated with an interdisciplinary approach (F - 75 % PG - 67.7 %). CONCLUSIONSThe study concludes that even though the knowledge and awareness of Dentinal Hypersensitivity was good, there existed uncertainty concerning diagnosis and management of the same.