ADAPTATION AND VALIDATION OF THE DENTIN HYPERSENSIVILITY EXPERIENCE QUESTIONNAIRE (DHEQ-35) INTO SPANISH

Abstract: The aim of this study was to validate the original English version of the Dentin Hypersensitivity Experience Questionnaire (DHEQ-35) in Spanish.A Spanish version of DHEQ-35 was developed using reverse translation. A cross-sectional design was used to evaluate the psychometric properties of DHEQ-35 in Spanish in a convenience sample of adults seeking dental care (n= 224). Individuals with systemic diseases, under treatment with analgesics, antibiotics, or anticoagulants, with cervical restorations or orthodontics and with less than 5 teeth were excluded. The questionnaire consists of 35 items (5 domains), the answer to which is expressed by means of a 7-point Likert scale, information on age and gender, and a 5-question questionnaire referring to the rating of general oral health and the effect of dentin hypersensitivity (HD) on quality of life. The presence of HD was established by evaporative stimulation using the Schiff scale. The maximum value and the balanced sum of the scores were recorded. The results of the questionnaire were expressed by total score and percentage with respect to the maximum possible score (%PT). Cronbach's α, sensitivity, specificity and ROC curve were calculated to establish cut-off level, using clinical evaluation as the gold standard. Significance level p <0.05.The mean age was 31 ± 13 years (74% female). The results of the application of DHEQ-35 showed a median total score of 72 (29.4% of the maximum possible), with higher relative scores in the domains "restrictions" and "adaptation" (32.1%). General oral health: excellent 3%, very good 17%, good 68%, fair 36%, poor 9% and very poor 3%. Cronbach's α was 0.98. The correlation between the domains was in a range of 0.72 to 0.85. Concurrent validity was 0.526 with respect to the Schiff score; 0.372 compared to general oral health; and 0.735 for the effect on life in general. Considering level 0 of the Schiff scale as an independent variable, a value of 62 of the PT was obtained as the cut-off level, with area under the curve: 0.785; 70.4% sensitivity and 79% specificity. The results of the test-retest (n=135) did not show significant differences and the intraclass correlation was 0.689. The validation of the DHEQ-35 was performed in Spanish with acceptable levels of psychometric properties, including cut-off levels.