Development and evaluation of the internal consistency of the Spanish version of the Dentine Hypersensitivity Experience Questionnaire-15 (DHEQ-15)

Abstract Background: Dentine hypersensitivity (DH) is a prevalent yet understudied pain condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Assessing self-reported DH experiences is crucial for research and clinical management. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the internal consistency of the Spanish version of the DHEQ-15, a short, validated questionnaire for this purpose. Methods: A two-stage approach was employed. The first stage involved cross-cultural adaptation of the DHEQ-15 through forward-backward translation, pilot testing, and expert review. The second stage was a cross-sectional study with 2,530 dental patients who completed the translated DHEQ-15 and answered questions about their overall oral health. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and item-to-total correlations. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to establish a cutoff point for identifying individuals with significant DH based on their DHEQ-15 score and a dental examination. Results: The final Spanish DHEQ-15 demonstrated excellent internal consistency, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.961. All item-to-total correlations were above 0.4, indicating good item discrimination. The ROC curve analysis identified a cutoff point of 26 for the DHEQ-15 score, with an area under the curve of 0.773. Conclusions: The Spanish DHEQ-15 is a reliable and valid tool for assessing self-reported DH experiences in Spanish-speaking populations. The established cutoffpoint of 26 can assist in identifying individuals with DH who might benefit from clinical intervention. This culturally adapted instrument holds promise for facilitating research, improving clinical management, and ultimately enhancing patient care in DH.