Change in OHRQOL Following Minimally Invasive Treatment of Anterior Teeth in Children With MIH

Background: Molar Incisor Hypomineralization (MIH) is defined as a hypomineralized lesion of the enamel as a result of different causes, mainly affecting permanent first molars and frequently associated to similar lesions (that appear as opacities) on upper and/or lower permanent incisors, causing deterioration and destruction of affected teeth because the enamel is fragile, and depending on the severity, may cause teeth to be lost.

Aim: The aim of this clinical study is to evaluate the change in oral health-related quality of life following minimally invasive aesthetic treatment of anterior permanent teeth in children with molar incisor hypomineralization using the Arabic C-OHIP-SF19 as a data collection tool.

Methods: This will be a prospective clinical study which will be performed on a group of school-children with MIH at the Post Graduate (PG) clinics, Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST), ages 6-16 years. A total of 156 children with MIH and anterior permanent teeth opacities, requesting cosmetic improvement of one or more anterior permanent teeth will be offered a composite facing. They will be asked to fill in the Child Oral Health Impact Profile-Short Form (C-OHIP-SF19) questionnaire pre and 1 month post treatment. The patients will be divided into 2 groups (78 participants per group): Group 1: Restorative group (study group); in this group, a composite facing will be placed on the anterior incisors to mask the opacity. Minimal invasive treatment will be done without drilling or removal of enamel, unless there is caries, which will be removed in this case, and Group 2: Fluoride gel group (control group); in this group, fluoride gel application will be done for all teeth using 1.23% APF gel delivered through a foam tray. In this group, if the child is not happy with the appearance after fluoride gel application, a composite facing will be offered.

Expected results: We expect that MIH patients who undergo the minimally invasive composite facing for the anterior teeth in order to reduce the visibility of enamel opacities to have a higher score on the C-OHIP-SF19 questionnaire because the esthetic treatment can have a positive impact on the children's wellbeing.

Inclusion criteria

• Children with MIH and who have a visible enamel opacity involving at least one anterior permanent tooth;
• Children who request improvement in their anterior permanent teeth aesthetics.

Exclusion criteria

• Children who have an acute dental symptom and require urgent treatment;
• Children who need to undergo active treatment for their hypomineralized molars during the proposed study period (e.g., extractions) or orthodontic treatment;
• Children with any dental or facial anomaly other than MIH;
• Children with compromised incisor aesthetics due to a traumatic dental injury (crown fracture), tooth surface loss, or caries;
• Children with MIH and who do not have a visible enamel opacity involving at least one anterior permanent tooth; and
• Children with poor behavior.