Time expended on managing molar incisor hypomineralization in a pediatric dental clinic in Nigeria

This study assessed the difference in the number of visits made to a dental care clinic and the time spent providing specific dental treatment for children with and without molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH). Children aged 8 to 16 years who presented at the Pediatric Dental Unit of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, were eligible for the study. A comprehensive medical and dental history was taken, and each child was clinically examined, diagnosed, and treated according to a drawn-up plan. The time taken to establish a diagnosis and to provide specific treatments (scaling and polishing, restoration, pulpectomy, extraction, and placement of stainless steel crowns) and the number of visits made to complete the treatment plan were recorded for each child. Differences in the number of visits, time expended to make a diagnosis and to treat children with and without MIH were analyzed. The average time for diagnosis (p = 0.001) and the average time for placing amalgam restorations (p = 0.008) were significantly longer in children with MIH than in those without it. Children with MIH made more visits to the clinic (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the average time for scaling and polishing (p = 0.08), glass ionomer cement restorations (p = 0.99), composite restorations (p = 0.26), pulpectomy (p = 0.42), tooth extraction (p = 0.06), and placement of a stainless steel crown (p = 0.83) in children with and without MIH. In conclusion, children with MIH required more time for oral health care. Placing amalgam restorations took significantly longer than placing tooth bonding restorative materials in children with MIH than in those without it.