title: The role of illness beliefs and coping in the adjustment to dentine hypersensitivity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Dentine hypersensitivity is a common oral health problem, however, there has been little research on how people cope with this condition. This study aimed to quantify the effects of illness beliefs and coping strategies on the health outcomes of individuals with dentine hypersensitivity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were purposively sampled from students and staff in one large UK University and 101 self-diagnosed dentine hypersensitivity sufferers participated in the longitudinal study. Participants were required to complete questionnaires which assessed health anxiety, specific illness beliefs (control, consequences, illness coherence, timeline perspectives and emotional representations), coping strategies (passive and active coping) and oral health-related and health-related quality of life (OHRQoL and HRQoL) at baseline and 1 month follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over half of the participants (N = 56) experienced sensations in their teeth on a daily basis and the majority had experienced dentine hypersensitivity for at least 1 year (N = 87). Structural equation modelling indicated that predictors of OHRQoL and HRQoL impacts at follow-up were frequency of sensations, low levels of illness coherence, negative emotional representations, greater health anxiety and use of passive coping strategies at baseline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Illness beliefs and coping strategies predict oral and health-related quality of life outcomes in people with dentine hypersensitivity.
authors: Department of Psychology, Sociology & Politics, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK.
authors: Jenny M
authors: JM
authors: Porritt
authors: Farzana
authors: F
authors: Sufi
authors: Ashley
authors: A
authors: Barlow
authors: Sarah R
authors: SR
authors: Baker
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003807:Dentin Sensitivity / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept; D060685:Sense of Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: adjustment; coping; dentine hypersensitivity