The influence of frequent ingestion of acids in the diet on treatment for dentin sensitivity.

For many patients with severe and persistent pain from dentin sensitivity, therapeutic interventions often produce unsatisfactory results. Eighteen patients with persistent dentin sensitivity following a two-month clinical trial of a desensitizing dentifrice and a two-week treatment of four applications of a topical fluoride varnish participated in post-hoc evaluation of the association between the frequency of acid ingestions in the diet and the persistence of pain. A specific food frequency assessment was performed and tested for association against longitudinal, clinical and subjective patient assessments. There was a negative association (r = 0.49) between the frequency of ingestion of specific acid foods and beverages and the persistence of dentin sensitivity. Findings suggest that nutritional counselling should be part of the treatment offered for patients with these problems.