Parental knowledge and perception of Molar Incisor Hypomineralisation (MIH)

Despite the growing body of literature on the prevalence and clinical challenges of Molar Incisor Hypomineralisation (MIH), there remains a gap in understanding parents' perspectives. This study aimed to assess parents' knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions regarding their children affected by MIH.

This study involved parents of children diagnosed with MIH within the past 5 years (January 2020-December 2024). A structured, multiple-choice electronic questionnaire was distributed to assess parents' perspectives across seven domains. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test (p ≤ 0.05).

A total of 202 individuals consented to participate. Forty-five percent of participants were parents of children currently undergoing treatment (N = 91), 38.6% (N = 78) completed treatment without any scheduled follow-up, while 16.3% (N = 33) have arranged follow-up visits. Only 2% of parents considered their knowledge about MIH to be broad (N = 4), 20.8% (N = 42) regarded it as moderate, 33.2% (N = 67) as minimal, and 44.1% (N = 89) as none. While most participants believed that the aetiology and long-term treatment needs were not adequately explained by the dentist (47.5%, N = 96; 45.0%, N = 91, respectively), over a third considered the child's current treatment needs to be well explained (37.6%, N = 76). Furthermore, the majority of parents expressed high concern about the long-term impact of MIH on their child's oral health (40.6%, n = 82).

Parents lack sufficient knowledge about MIH and its implications. There's a need for family-centred care strategies and support systems for parents.