Assessing the Prevalence of Molar- Incisor Hypomineralization and it s’effects on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Children Aged 8-12 Years in the City of Kerman, Iran

Background and Aim: Molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) is known as a developmental defect in enamel structure and shape seen in one to four permanent first molar teeth, usually affecting incisors. MIH can also influence children’s self-confidence and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), as an index to assess the effect of oral and orofacial diseases on individuals’ health status, mood, and sense- quality; which are specifically measured in children and teenagers through the Child Perceptions Questionnaires (CPQ8-10 or CPQ11-14 ). Therefore, this study goaled to examine the prevalence of MIH and the effects of MIH on OHRQoL during mixed dentition period in Kerman, Iran.Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was performed on a total number of 2507 children aged 8-12 years in public schools selected using cluster random sampling method. Clinical examination was correspondingly done under day light with a dental probe and a disposable dental mirror by a calibrated dental student. The data were coded and imported into the IBM SPSS Statistics (version 20) wherein Chi-square test, independent t-test, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were employed for analyses. The significance level was also set at 0.05.Results: A total of 129 (5.14%) students were diagnosed with MIH. The mean score of OHRQoL according to the standard CPQ8-10 or CPQ11-14 in children with MIH in this study was 19.9±15.1, ranged from 0 to 82. Moreover, girls suffering from MIH had lower OHRQoL compared with boys (p =0.006).Conclusion: It was concluded that MIH had a negative impact on OHRQoL in children.