Time expended on managing molar incisor hypomineralization in a pediatric dental clinic in Nigeria

Abstract This study assessed the difference in the number of visits made to a dental care clinic and the time spent providing specific dental treatment for children with and without molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH). Children aged 8 to 16 years who presented at the Pediatric Dental Unit of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, were eligible for the study. A comprehensive medical and dental history was taken, and each child was clinically examined, diagnosed, and treated according to a drawn-up plan. The time taken to establish a diagnosis and to provide specific treatments (scaling and polishing, restoration, pulpectomy, extraction, and placement of stainless steel crowns) and the number of visits made to complete the treatment plan were recorded for each child. Differences in the number of visits, time expended to make a diagnosis and to treat children with and without MIH were analyzed. The average time for diagnosis (p = 0.001) and the average time for placing amalgam restorations (p = 0.008) were significantly longer in children with MIH than in those without it. Children with MIH made more visits to the clinic (p摘要 本研究评估了伴与不伴磨牙切牙矿化不全（molar incisor hypomineralization, MIH）的儿童前往牙科诊所的就诊次数差异，以及为其实施特定牙科治疗所花费的时间。研究纳入尼日利亚伊莱-伊费市奥巴费米·阿沃洛沃大学教学医院综合体儿童牙科诊室就诊的8~16岁儿童作为研究对象。研究人员采集了完整的内科与牙科病史，并按照制定的诊疗计划对每名儿童进行临床检查、诊断与治疗。记录每名儿童明确诊断所需时间、实施特定治疗（龈上洁治与抛光、修复治疗、牙髓摘除术、拔牙及不锈钢预成冠修复）所需时间，以及完成整个诊疗计划的就诊次数。分析伴与不伴MIH的儿童在就诊次数、诊断耗时及治疗耗时上的差异。结果显示，伴MIH儿童的明确诊断平均耗时（p = 0.001）与银汞合金修复平均耗时（p = 0.008）均显著长于不伴MIH的儿童。伴MIH的儿童就诊次数更多（p