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Updated: Aug 28, 2026
Systematic Assessment of Mammalian Skull Specimens for Dental and Temporomandibular Joint Pathology
Published on: August 22, 2022
Differential diagnosis of molar incisor hypomineralisation and hypomineralised second primary molars: a scoping
E Garot1,2, L Bandeira Lopes3, M Elfrink4
1University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
Background:
Molar Incisor Hypomineralisation (MIH) and Hypomineralised Second Primary Molars (HSPM) have been extensively studied; however the specific diagnostic boundaries distinguishing them from other developmental enamel defects remain unclear.
Objectives:
This review aims to systematically map the literature describing clinical, radiological, histological or structural features and patient-reported symptoms useful for the differential diagnosis of MIH and HSPM, and additionally to identify knowledge gaps for future research.
Methods:
Primary studies addressing the differential diagnosis of developmental defects of enamel published in the period 1985-2025, written in English and involving human subjects were considered for inclusion in this scoping review. PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Scopus were searched. Two reviewers screened retrieved papers independently for eligibility and charted the data. The protocol was registered with the Open Science Framework registration number 10.17605/OSF.IO/P9UKD.
Results:
A total of 23 reports were included in the review. More than half of the studies were case series (39.1%) and case reports (17.4%), including small samples (in 50.0% of the studies the sample size was fewer than 10 subjects). Amelogenesis Imperfecta (AI) was found in most papers (65.2%); other conditions included dental fluorosis, white spot lesions, and developmental defects associated with cleft lip and palate, antineoplastic therapy, syphilis, Turner syndrome and vitamin D-dependent rickets type 1. No single study directly compared MIH and HSPM with other enamel developmental defects in a controlled manner, representing a major limitation in establishing evidence-based differential diagnostic criteria.
Conclusions:
Future studies should include well-designed comparative analyses using standardized diagnostic criteria and objective measures in larger and more diverse patient samples.
