ASSESSMENT OF PAIN IN CERVICAL DENTINAL SENSITIVITY STUDIES - A REVIEW

Traditionally cervical dentinal sensitivity (CDS) has been evaluated m ainly subjectively on the basis of the individual patient's subjective response, e.g., in the form of verbal rating and visual analogue scal es and questionnaires. The stimuli used for evaluating this response c an be grouped into 4 main categories: mechanical, chemical, electrical and thermal. This review of the literature, however, indicates that t here are problems in evaluating patient subjective response to these v arious test stimuli used in the assessment and treatment of CDS. Opini ons also vary as to the reliability of some of these methods of assess ment, although recently, efforts have been made to develop controlled reproducible stimuli more suited to the evaluation of CDS. Currently n o single method of eliciting and assessing CDS may be considered ideal . Further research is required to evaluate suitable methodology for th e quantification of realistic test stimuli under controlled clinical c onditions, whereby the subjective response may be objectively measured by the investigator.