Molar Incisor Hypomineralization—An Emerging Burden: A Short Study on Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics in Central Delhi, India

AIM: To determine the prevalence of molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) in 6–12 years old children of the Central Delhi area. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional descriptive short study consisted of 1,026 children aged 6–12 years selected by a random sampling procedure. The parents were interviewed and relevant prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal history was recorded. The dental examination was carried out by well-trained pediatric dentists. Full mouth examination of teeth was conducted including the European Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (EAPD) 2003 criteria for the diagnosis of MIH. The results were documented and statistically analyzed using the Chi-square test. RESULTS: The prevalence of MIH was found to be 1.17%. There was statistically significant difference in prevalence related to gender (p < 0.05) with a higher number of males affected with MIH. A total of 77 teeth (44 molars and 32 incisors) were observed with MIH. The severity of MIH was more in molars (52.27%) when compared to incisors (24.24%). All the four first permanent molars were affected in 83.3% of children with MIH. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of MIH in a small sample of 1,026 children aged 6–12 years in Central Delhi was 1.17%. A significant male predilection was reported. MIH is a developmental disturbance occurring during the maturation phase of enamel formation, which requires a multidisciplinary treatment approach. The high esthetic demand and the inability to deliver successful restorative care to the hypomineralized teeth can pose great difficulties. Hence, more studies related to prevalence, nature, and severity of MIH and awareness regarding the associated risk factors are required to reveal the hidden burden across the country and to further prevent the occurrence of MIH. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Goswami M, Bhushan U, et al. Molar Incisor Hypomineralization—An Emerging Burden: A Short Study on Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics in Central Delhi, India. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2019;12(3):211–214.