FDI teaches non-dental professions to recognise dentine hypersensitivity

A short, sharp pain that few attribute to dentine

The World Dental Federation (FDI) has added a fact sheet and an infographic on dentine hypersensitivity to its Educational Module for Other Health Professionals. The materials are intended for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, nutritionists and other health workers who are not dentists, but who are often the first to hear a patient complain about a tooth.

FDI describes dentine hypersensitivity as a short, sharp pain that arises from exposed dentine in response to cold, heat, touch or certain foods and drinks. Although it is common in practice, it remains insufficiently recognised and can considerably affect a patient's everyday life. As associated factors FDI lists gingival recession, enamel loss, acidic dietary habits and traumatic toothbrushing.

The module is conceived as a tool of interprofessional collaboration. Rather than prevention resting solely on the dental practice, FDI counts on the wider health professions to recognise the symptoms, understand the risk habits, give basic preventive advice and refer the patient to a dentist in time. FDI justifies the initiative on the grounds that many oral diseases are preventable through simple evidence-based measures and that involving a wider circle of health workers widens access to care, particularly for underserved groups. The infographic is designed so that it can be displayed in a waiting room or incorporated into teaching. The Educational Module project is financially supported by HALEON.

Context

The module is part of a broader FDI line of fact sheets that introduce oral health into the routine of non-dental professions; dentine hypersensitivity is a rewarding topic for this because patients report it spontaneously to their family doctor or pharmacist.

For your practice

• For a Croatian waiting room the material needs to be translated, but the structure of the message (triggers, risk habits, when to refer) can be adopted in full.
• If you work with pharmacies in your area, the fact sheet is a concrete reason to get in touch: a pharmacist who can tell hypersensitivity from pulpitis sends you the patient sooner.
• A history of acidic drinks and of toothbrushing technique remains the first line — FDI lists both among the associated factors.