Dentin Hypersensitivity: Etiology, Diagnosis, and Management.

Dentin hypersensitivity, a commonly presenting condition, is described as sharp pain resulting from the exposure of open dentin tubules to the oral environment in response to a varied assortment of stimuli. It is sometimes a difficult condition to diagnose, because the diagnosis is one of exclusion and all other potential causes must be examined first. The heterogeneity of this presentation, ranging from a minor inconvenience to the patient to a near incapacitating quality-of-life disorder, along with the wide array of treatment strategies pose challenges to the clinician. All dental professionals should be familiar with dentin hypersensitivity, such that they are able to effectively relieve patients of their pain. This article discusses the etiology, diagnosis, and effective management of dentin hypersensitivity.