Prevalence of self-reported versus diagnosed dentinal hypersensitivity: a cross-sectional study and ROC curve analysis

Objective: This study aimed to identify and compare the self-reported and diagnosed prevalence of dentinal hypersensitivity (DH) in an University population; and to verify accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of DH stimuli tests. Material and methods: Three hundred and eighty patients (67.2% women and 32.8% men) were assessed by questionnaire, clinical exam, tactile and cold water tests. The intensity of DH was assessed using a visual analogue scale, and a calibrated examiner measured the scores using a caliper. The ICC for intra-examiner was 0.990. Scores above 5 mm were considered sensitive teeth. The association between variables was assessed by Chi-square test. ROC curve analysis determined accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of the tests (p