Development of the Chinese version of the Dentine Hypersensitivity Experience Questionnaire

Objectives : The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Dentine Hypersensitivity Experience Questionnaire (DHEQ). Methods : After translation and cross-cultural adaptation following international guidelines, 110 patients with dentine hypersensitivity (DH) were recruited to complete the questionnaire. The reliability of the Chinese version of DHEQ was evaluated using internal consistency and test–retest methods. Construct validity was determined based on factor analysis, discriminative validity was determined by comparing the subscale score differences in the degree of sensitivity being investigated, and convergent validity was determined by analyzing the correlation between DHEQ subscale scores and the global rating of oral health questions. Results : Cronbach’s alpha value (internal reliability) for the total DHEQ score was 0.95 and the intraclass correlation coefficient value (test–retest reliability) was 0.85. Construct validity was determined by factor analysis and extracting eight factors, accounting for 74% of the variance. All items had factor loadings more than 0.40. In addition, the Chinese version of DHEQ was found to be valid for distinguishing patients with varying degrees of DH. In terms of convergent validity, the impact scale was significantly highly correlated with the global oral health rating. Conclusion : The results suggest that the Chinese version of the DHEQ has satisfactory psychometric properties and is applicable to patients with DH in China.