Prevalence of Dentine Hypersensitivity in Vital Abutment Teeth being prepared for Fixed Partial Dentures or Crowns

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of dentine hypersensitivity during the preparation of vital abutment teeth for Fixed Partial Dentures or Crowns and its association with patient’s gender, age, and location of tooth. Study Design & Setting: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study of patients with 150 abutments of either crown or fixed partial dentures, carried out in the department of Prosthodontics at Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry (AFID) Rawalpindi from June to December 2021. Methodology: The Dentine Hypersensitivity was recorded on a VAS (Visual Analogue Scale) of 0-10 after the patient reported pain during exposure to thermal stimulus i.e. cold water from a 5cc syringe at 1cm distance during or just after the tooth preparation. Results: In this study, the prevalence of Dentine Hypersensitivity was 13.3% with a mean dentine hypersensitivity score (VAS) for cold water test (Mean ± SD) of 0.61±1.756. Independent samples t-tests were used to determine the difference in hypersensitivity between genders, two age groups, and type of tooth (anterior/ posterior). It showed significant results with p-values of 0.002, 0.002, and 0.003 respectively. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, it was highlighted that the preparation of vital teeth for conventional porcelain fused to metal (PFM) crown or fixed dental prosthesis results in dentine hypersensitivity in a considerable number of cases, with a higher incidence in women, younger patients, and vital anterior abutments