Prevalence, pattern and distribution of MIH defects in Sudanese children
Abstract Background: Molar incisos hypomineralization (MIH) has serious impact on oral health-related quality of life for a child, due to its effects on tooth structure, aesthetics and behavior of the child. The current study was designed to determine the prevalence, pattern and distribution of MIH in school children in Sudan.Methods: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study involving 568 children, aged 8-11 years from schools in Khartoum State. After collecting their socio-demographic data, the children were examined for hypomineralization on the 12 MIH indexed teeth, and assessed on the MIH pattern and distribution. The data collected were analyzed to obtain descriptive statstics, and the results related to the socio-demographic and other dental-related factors of the children using chi-square test and Spearman Rank Correlation, with the significant level set at p<0.05.Results: The prevalence of MIH in the study population was 20.1%. Majority of the affected teeth were permanent first molars (PFMs) (12.5%), but there was no statistical significant difference between the occurrence of hypomineralization on mandibular and maxillary molars (p=0.22). However, in the case of incisors, there was a statistical significant difference between the maxillary incisors that had higher hypomineralization rate when related to the mandibular incisors ( p=0.00). In terms of the pattern of hypomineralization, demarcated opacities were the commonest MIH defects (69.9%) in the study group.Conclusions: While the prevalence of MIH in the study population was 20.1%, both molars and incisor teeth were frequently affected in both dental arches, and the demarcated opacity type were the most frequent form of defect found in the teeth of the participants.