Impact of toothpaste on oral health-related quality of life in people with dentine hypersensitivity

Abstract

Background: Dentine hypersensitivity can impact functional status and everyday activities such as eating and talking. This study aimed to assess changes in oral health-related quality of life measures in individuals with dentine hypersensitivity following long-term use (24 weeks) of a commercially available toothpaste marketed for dentine hypersensitivity relief.

Methods: This study was conducted across two sites and enrolled 75 adults with ≥2 non-adjacent sensitive teeth. Participants were assigned to twice-daily brushing with toothpaste containing 0.454% w/w stannous fluoride (1100 ppm fluoride). Every 4 weeks, participant-reported outcomes were assessed using the Dentine Hypersensitivity Experience Questionnaire (DHEQ), a condition specific oral health-related quality of life scale that has five domains and includes questions on social and emotional impact, restrictions, adaptations and effect on life overall. Responses to a clinically applied evaporative (air) stimulus were assessed using the examiner-observed Schiff sensitivity scale and Labelled Magnitude Scales (LMS), which included dentine hypersensitivity-specific descriptors of intensity, duration, tolerability and descriptive qualities of the participant's response.

Results: Participant-reported outcomes demonstrated reduction of the impact of dentine hypersensitivity over time on health-related quality of life, as measured by the DHEQ. This reached statistical significance from Week 8 onwards (p < 0.0001 versus baseline) for the Total DHEQ score, with scores continually decreasing at each timepoint. Most domain scores followed a similar pattern. Statistically significant reductions were also detected for the examiner-observed Schiff Sensitivity Scale scores at all timepoints (including at 4 weeks) (p < 0.05), which were mirrored by LMS responses. The toothpaste was generally well-tolerated.

Conclusions: These results show that long-term use of a sensitivity toothpaste containing 0.454% w/w stannous fluoride has a beneficial, ongoing, impact on the oral health-related quality of life of people with dentine hypersensitivity.

Trial registration: This study was registered at Clinicaltrials.gov ( https://ichgcp.net/clinical-trials-registry/NCT02752958 ) on April 27, 2016.

Keywords: Dentin; Dentin sensitivity; Pain; Patient reported outcome measures; Tin fluoride.

Conflict of interest statement

SM, GB and NP are employees of GSK Consumer Healthcare. RM was an employee of Intertek CRS Ltd. at the time of the study and AP was an employee of Syneos Health at the time of the study; both organizations have received funding from GSK Consumer Healthcare.

Figures

Fig. 1

Study flow

Fig. 2

DHEQ Section 1: Raw mean (± SE) scores over time for Q7–9 (mITT population). *p < 0.05 compared to Week 0. Lower scores are favourable; w = week. Note: Figures are not to scale: Q7–9 measured on a 1–10 scale

Fig. 3

DHEQ Section 2: (mITT population). Raw mean (± standard error) scores over time for DHEQ Total Score (Q1–34), individual DHEQ domain scores, Global Oral Health Rating (Q35) and Effect on Life Overall (Q36–39). *p < 0.05 compared to Week 0. Lower scores are favourable; w = week. Note: Figures are not to scale: Total DHEQ score = 34–238 point scale; Adaptation = 12–84 point scale; Identity and Social Impact = 5–35 point scale; Emotional Impact = 8–56 point scale; Restrictions = 4–28 point scale; Global Oral Health = 1–6 scale; Effect on Life Overall = 0–16 scale

Fig. 4

Raw mean (±SE) scores over time (mITT population). a evaporative (air) sensitivity (Schiff Sensitivity Scale score) for the two test teeth and all qualifying teeth and b Labelled Magnitude Scales for the two test teeth