MOLAR HYPOMIN AWARENESS

One of the major challenges in advancing care of children with Molar Hypomin (MH) has been poor problem-awareness among dental practitioners and policymakers (see the Molar Hypomin Problem). In 2003, Weerheijm and Mejare conducted the first academic appraisal of MH awareness by surveying member countries of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry. Since then, at least 32 similar MH-awareness surveys have been published covering 6 categories of dental professional within 24 countries across 6 continents (see bibliography below).

Our graph (above) shows the survey publication rate remained slow from 2003 until 2016 when it increased markedly with an apparent peak in 2022. That this profile contrasts with the steady increase of MH publications over the same period (graph) implies something has triggered recent interest in awareness surveys – time will tell whether the COVID pandemic influenced this pattern. The accompanying map locates a majority (≈ 60%) of surveyed countries to Europe and the Middle East, with additional reports from the Americas, Asia and Down Under. This distribution loosely matches our maps for MH prevalence studies and D3G membership.

Remarkably, all surveys since 2003 have maintained a relatively narrow focus on hypomineralised 6-year molars and incisors ("MIH") except for one that analysed enamel defects more generally (Masri, 2021). We hope that crucial awareness of MH in the primary dentition and broader understanding relating to prevention and aetiology will be addressed more strongly in future.

We're intrigued the post-2016 surge in MH-awareness surveys coincides with D3G's internationalisation (cf. this website & Chalky Teeth Campaign launched in 2013) yet diverges from our broader preventive focus on MH in both dentitions (2017-). Regardless, these survey studies certainly do support our characterisation of MH and chalky teeth as a 3-level problem, in which a widespread lack of problem-awareness (aka "ignorance") remains both a central yet addressable concern.

Clearly, the surge in practitioner survey studies identified here (graph) is just one proxy indicator for increased awareness of the MH problem across the broader sector. Click here to learn more about the global groundswell of cross-sector awareness surrounding D3G's translational paradigm for MH and chalky teeth.

MH-AWARENESS SURVEY REPORTS, 2003–

2024

• Tarazona-Valero V, Almerich-Silla JM, Iranzo-Cortés JE, Ortolá-Siscar JC, Almerich-Torres T. Knowledge and perception regarding molar incisor hypomineralisation among dental students and dental hygienist students in Spain: a cross-sectional study. BMC Oral Health. 2024; 24(1):300. PMID: 38431602

2023

• Hamza B, Karkoutly M, Papageorgiou SN, Bshara N. Molar-incisor hypomineralisation: Knowledge and perception of Syrian undergraduate and postgraduate dental students. Eur J Dent Educ. 2023; 27(2):343-352. PMID: 35543303
  
  
• Gunay A. Knowledge and Attitudes of a Group of Dental Students in Turkey About Molar Incisor Hypomineralization. Med Sci Monit. 2023; 29:e941824. PMID: 3785944
  
  
• Gómez-Clavel JF, Sánchez-Cruz FY, Santillán-Carlos XP, Nieto-Sánchez MP, Vidal-Gutiérrez X, Pineda ÁEG. Knowledge, experience, and perception of molar incisor hypomineralisation among dentists in the metropolitan area of Mexico City: a cross-sectional study. BMC Oral Health. 2023; 23(1):1018. PMID: 38114978

2022

• Yehia AM, Abdelaziz AM, Badran A. "Knowledge, clinical experience, and perceived need for training regarding molar-incisor hypomineralization among a group of Egyptian dental students: a cross-sectional study". BMC Oral Health. 2022; 22(1):323. PMID: 35918670
  
  
• Seremidi K, Amend S, Krämer N, Gizani S. A cross-sectional survey on knowledge and attitudes of Greek dentists regarding molar incisor hypomineralisation diagnosis and treatment. BMC Oral Health. 2022; 22(1):498. PMID: 36384488
  
  
• Humphreys J, Morgan E, Clayton S, Jarad F, Harris R, Albadri S. Molar-incisor hypomineralisation combat: exploratory qualitative interviews with general dental practitioners in England regarding the management of children with molar-incisor hypomineralisation. Br Dent J. 2022; Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35618918
  
  
• Delgado RM, Botelho J, Machado V, Mendes JJ, Lopes LB. Knowledge, perception, and clinical experiences on molar incisor hypomineralization amongst Portuguese dentists. BMC Oral Health. 2022; 22(1):250. PMID: 35733162
  
  
• Dian E, Budiardjo SB, Ghanim A, Amir LR, Maharani DA. Knowledge and Perceptions of Molar Incisor Hypomineralisation among General Dental Practitioners, Paediatric Dentists, and Other Dental Specialists in Indonesia. Dent J (Basel). 2022; 10(10):190. PMID: 36286000
  
  
• Dian et al.... Knowledge and Perceptions on Molar Incisor Hypomineralization among Dental Students in Indonesia (2022) Journal of International Dental and Medical Research 15(1):243-249. Open access
  
  
• Karkoutly M, Hamza B, Al Batal S, Al Barazi A, Bshara N. Knowledge, perceptions, attitudes, and clinical experiences on molar incisor hypomineralization among Syrian pediatric dentists and general dental practitioners: a cross-sectional study. BMC Oral Health. 2022; 22(1):561. PMID: 36456977
  
  
• Liu Y, He M. A survey on knowledge and attitudes towards molar-incisor hypomineralization among undergraduate and postgraduate students at the School of Stomatology, Wuhan University. BMC Oral Health. 2022; 22(1):19. PMID: 35081946
  
  
• Negrescu J, Kodra L, Ziada H, Al-Talib T, Abubakr NH. Molar Incisor Hypomineralization: Awareness among Postdoctoral Dental Residents: A Cross-Sectional Study. Dent J (Basel). 2022; 10(4):64. PMID: 35448058
  
  
• Shalaby MS, El-Shahawy OI, Alaa E, El-Shiekh MA. Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice of molar-incisor hypomineralisation among a group of Egyptian dentists (observational cross-sectional study). Future Dental Journal. 2022;8(1):29-35. Open access

2021

• Elhennawy K, Anang M, Splieth C, Bekes K, Manton DJ, Hedar Z, Krois J, Jost-Brinkmann PG, Schwendicke F. Knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) amongst German dental students. Int J Paediatr Dent. 2021; 31(4):486-495. PMID: 32813919
  
  
• Hamza B, Elhennawy K, van Waes H, Papageorgiou SN. Knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding molar incisor hypomineralisation amongst Swiss dental students. BMC Oral Health. 2021; 21(1):548. PMID: 34702223
  
  
• Masri AABHA, Khang KKY, Shen LLW, Ekambaram M, Loch C. Knowledge of dental enamel defects amongst undergraduate dental students-a cross-sectional survey. Eur J Dent Educ. 2021; 25(4):711-716. PMID: 33369838
  
  
• Bekes K, Melichar K, Stamm T, Elhennawy K. Dental Students' Knowledge, Attitudes and Beliefs Regarding Molar Incisor Hypomineralization (MIH): A Survey in Vienna, Austria. J Multidiscip Healthc. 2021;14:2881-2889. PMID: 34675536
  
  
• Skaare AB, Houlihan C, Nybø CJ, Brusevold IJ. Knowledge, experience and perception regarding molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) among dentists and dental hygienists in Oslo, Norway. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent. 2021; 22(5):851-860. PMID: 34386932
  
  
• Yehia, A.M., Abdelaziz, A.M. & Badran, A. Knowledge, perceptions, and clinical experience regarding Molar-Incisor Hypomineralization among a group of general dental practitioners, pediatric dentists, and other dental specialists in Egypt: a cross-sectional study. Bull Natl Res Cent 45, 206 (2021). Open access

2020

• Serna-Muñoz C, Martínez-Beneyto Y, Pérez-Silva A, Poza-Pascual A, Ibáñez-López FJ, Ortiz-Ruiz AJ. Perception, knowledge, and attitudes towards molar incisor hypomineralization among Spanish dentists: a cross-sectional study. BMC Oral Health. 2020; 20(1):260. PMID: 32948160
  
  
• Wall A, Leith R. A questionnaire study on perception and clinical management of molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) by Irish dentists. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent. 2020; 21(6):703-710. PMID: 32185633

2018

• Tagelsir A, Dean JA, Eckert GJ, Martinez-Mier EA. U.S. Pediatric Dentists' Perception of Molar Incisor Hypomineralization. Pediatr Dent. 2018; 40(4):272-278. PMID: 30345966
  
  
• Gamboa GCS, Lee GHM, Ekambaram M, Yiu CKY. Knowledge, perceptions, and clinical experiences on molar incisor hypomineralization among dental care providers in Hong Kong. BMC Oral Health. 2018; 18(1):217. PMID: 30545337
  
  
• Alanzi A, Faridoun A, Kavvadia K, Ghanim A. Dentists' perception, knowledge, and clinical management of molar-incisor-hypomineralisation in Kuwait: a cross-sectional study. BMC Oral Health. 2018; 18(1):34. PMID: 29514684

2016

• Gambetta-Tessini K, Mariño R, Ghanim A, Calache H, Manton DJ. Knowledge, experience and perceptions regarding Molar-Incisor Hypomineralisation (MIH) amongst Australian and Chilean public oral health care practitioners. BMC Oral Health. 2016; 16(1):75. PMID: 27539252
  
  
• Silva MJ, Alhowaish L, Ghanim A, Manton DJ. Knowledge and attitudes regarding molar incisor hypomineralisation amongst Saudi Arabian dental practitioners and dental students. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent. 2016; 17(4):215-22. PMID: 27172776
  
  
• Kalkani M, Balmer RC, Homer RM, Day PF, Duggal MS. Molar incisor hypomineralisation: experience and perceived challenges among dentists specialising in paediatric dentistry and a group of general dental practitioners in the UK. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent. 2016; 17(2):81-8. PMID: 26613718
  
  
• Kopperud SE, Pedersen CG, Espelid I. Treatment decisions on Molar-Incisor Hypomineralization (MIH) by Norwegian dentists - a questionnaire study. BMC Oral Health. 2016; 17(1):3. PMID: 27430640

2014

• Hussein AS, Ghanim AM, Abu-Hassan MI, Manton DJ. Knowledge, management and perceived barriers to treatment of molar-incisor hypomineralisation in general dental practitioners and dental nurses in Malaysia. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent. 2014; 15(5):301-7. PMID: 24569938

2011

• Ghanim A, Morgan M, Mariño R, Manton D, Bailey D. Perception of molar-incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) by Iraqi dental academics. Int J Paediatr Dent. 2011; 21(4):261-70. PMID: 21332851

2008

• Crombie FA, Manton DJ, Weerheijm KL, Kilpatrick NM. Molar incisor hypomineralization: a survey of members of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Paediatric Dentistry. Aust Dent J. 2008; 53(2):160-6. PMID: 18494972

2003

• Weerheijm KL, Mejàre I. Molar incisor hypomineralization: a questionnaire inventory of its occurrence in member countries of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry (EAPD). Int J Paediatr Dent. 2003; 13(6):411-6. PMID: 14984047