Factors Associated with Molar-Incisor Hypomineralization: A Population-Based Case-Control Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Dentistry
• Dental Public Health
• Developmental Biology

Background:

• Molar-incisor hypomineralization (MIH) is a significant dental defect affecting children's permanent teeth.
• Understanding pre-, peri-, and postnatal risk factors is crucial for MIH prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between MIH and maternal/child health conditions in South Korea.
• To identify key risk and protective factors for MIH in children aged 6-13 years.

Main Methods:

• Case-control study design.
• Utilized European Academy of Pediatric Dentistry criteria for MIH diagnosis.
• Employed self-administered questionnaires for data collection on pre-, peri-, and postnatal factors.

Main Results:

• Maternal smoking during pregnancy (OR=2.37) and pediatric respiratory infections in the first three years (OR=1.33) were significantly associated with increased MIH risk.
• Maternal use of health supplements during pregnancy (OR=0.65) and increased daily outdoor activity (>3 hours) showed a protective association with MIH.
• Statistical significance was observed for these associations (P<0.05).

Conclusions:

• Maternal smoking and early childhood respiratory infections are identified as significant risk factors for MIH in Korean children.
• Maternal health supplement intake and regular outdoor activity may offer protective effects against MIH development.
• Further research is warranted to explore the protective mechanisms of maternal health supplement use during pregnancy.