Introduction
In a typical workday, the retail pharmacist may field several questions about oral care and oral discomfort. Patients may complain about one or more teeth that are intermittently painful. The pain is invariably triggered by actions such as drinking a hot or cold beverage, eating a sweet or sour food, or dental manipulations such as touching the tooth or directing an air blast on it.
The patient may have concern that the tooth requires a filling or that it may need to be extracted. However, the problem, known as dentinal hypersensitivity, may be a relatively simple one to treat.
