Awareness and Educational Needs Regarding Molar-Incisor Hypomineralization at Chonnam University School of Dentistry

The purpose of this study was to investigate dental students’ and residents’ awareness, clinical experience, diagnostic confidence, and educational needs regarding Molar-Incisor Hypomineralization (MIH), to inform effective diagnostic training strategies. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among third-year (n = 65), fourth-year (n = 80) dental students, and residents (n = 74; pediatric dentistry, conservative dentistry, and the other specialties) at Chonnam National University from September to October 2024. A structured self-report questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using chi-square, Fisher’s exact test, t-tests, ANOVA, and logistic regression (p < 0.05). Overall, familiarity with MIH was 69.0% among students and 98.6% among residents. Knowledge of clinical features (students 44.1%, residents 75.7%) and diagnostic criteria (students 3.4%, residents 17.6%) was limited. Only 17.2% of students and 43.2% of residents had observed MIH clinically. Most respondents reported difficulty distinguishing MIH from other conditions (students 89.0%, residents 82.4%). Confidence in diagnosing MIH was low among respondents (students 1.71 ± 0.71, residents 2.28 ± 0.85). Most students (87.6%) and residents (93.2%) indicated a need for additional MIH-related education. Clinical observation and knowledge of diagnostic criteria were significantly associated with diagnostic confidence (p < 0.0001). Dental students and residents showed relatively high awareness of MIH but limited knowledge of diagnostic criteria and low self-reported diagnostic confidence. These findings highlight the need for practice-oriented educational programs to strengthen MIH diagnostic competence, suggesting targeted curricular improvements within dental education.