Knowledge and Practice of Molar Incisor Hypomineralization among Dental Professionals in Najran Province, Saudi Arabia

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

preformed metal crowns, direct composite resin restorations, and laboratory-made restorations can be recommended for MIHaffected molars.14,15 Accurate diagnosis is essential for appropriate and timely treatment.16 MIH can be hard to diagnose, often being confused with conditions such as enamel hypoplasia, fluorosis, and amelogenesis imperfecta.17,18 Rapid caries formation can further complicate the diagnosis.19 The knowledge and awareness of MIH are related to its recognition by dental professionals.A study conducted in 2003 examined the awareness of MIH among pediatric dentists (PDs) in Europe, revealing that most participants viewed MIH as a significant clinical issue. 1 Based on that study, similar investigations on general dental practitioners (GDPs) were conducted in various countries including Australia, 19,20 Iraq, 2 Iran, 21 Malaysia, 22 Saudi Arabia, 23 and IntroductIonMolar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) is a qualitative developmental enamel defect that was first defined in 2001 as a condition affecting one to four permanent first molars.It may be associated with affected permanent incisors.1 It is characterized by hypomineralized enamel of systemic origin, with different clinical presentations and a multifactorial etiology.2 The term MIH has since been widely adopted in dentistry to describe this clinical phenomenon.3,4 Molar incisor hypomineralization has a multifactorial etiology, where exposure to various combined factors with genetic susceptibility determines the presence and severity of the disease, as well as the affected dental group.5 It is a significant public health concern, ranked second only to dental caries, due to its high prevalence and the increased risk of rapid enamel breakdown and carious lesion development in affected children.6 Several studies have found associations between specific illnesses, such as asthma, fever, or adenoid infections, and MIH in early childhood.2,7 Theories, such as illness during pregnancy, premature or prolonged birth, childhood illness (in the first year of life), and others, such as vitamin D deficiency and bisphenol A, are being discussed.[8][9][10][11] Molar incisor hypomineralization defects can appear as white, yellow, or brown opacities, with severity varying among teeth, even in the same individual.12,13 The degree of opacity is linked to porosity, and darker opacities may lead to posteruptive breakdown (PEB).13 The use of resin-based fissure sealants,