Prevalence and Distribution of Molar Incisor Hypomineralization in children receiving dental care in Caracas Metropolitan Area, Venezuela.

Great variation has been reported in worldwide prevalence of Molar Incisor Hypomineralization (MIH) and Hypomineralized Second Primary Molar (HSPM). South America has the highest regional prevalence. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and distribution of MIH HSPM in 6- to 12-year-old children who received care at two dental healthcare services (public and private) in Caracas Metropolitan Area, Venezuela. A cross-sectional prospective study was conducted on 145 children, of whom 121 were selected in the stratified random sample. A calibrated examiner (Kappa=0.878/0.831) evaluated all patients following the MIH diagnosis criteria established by the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry and using a valid and reliable instrument. Data were analyzed with a significance level of 5%. Of the 121 children, 46.28% (56) were male and 53.72% (65) female, average age 8.83 +/- 1.61. The prevalence of MIH/HSPM was 25.6%/20%. Both enamel defects were more prevalent in females (p-value=0.026/0.005). Severe MIH/HSPM was present in 21.8%/31.2% of cases. Average number of affected teeth was 4.16 +/- 2.19/1.68 +/- 0.74; and the condition was more frequent in upper molars (67.7%/51.4%). It was concluded that prevalence of MIH in 6- to 12-year-old Venezuelan children who received care in Caracas Metropolitan Area was higher than the previously estimated prevalence for South America, with predominance of mild affectation and more frequently occurring in upper molars.