Prevalence of and factors associated with molar-incisor hypomineralisation in schoolchildren in the canton of Basel-Landschaft, Switzerland

Abstract

Objectives As prevalence of molar-incisor hypomineralisation varies considerably in different countries and regions, the aim of this study was to obtain representative epidemiological data for schoolchildren living in the canton of Basel-Landschaft, Switzerland. Material and methods A representative population of schoolchildren of three different age groups, i.e. 1st grade (mean age: 7.4 years), 6th grade (mean age: 12.6 years), and 9th grade (mean age: 15.7 years) visiting compulsory schools in the canton of Basel-Landschaft, Switzerland, was examined. The presence or absence of molar-incisor hypomineralisation at time of examination was recorded as well as potential influencing factors such as age group, gender, nationality, or the children’s place of residence. Results A total of 1252 schoolchildren could be included. On average, the prevalence of MIH in the study population was 14.8%. No statistically significant differences were found for nationality, gender, or place of residence. Although not statistically significant, children from the youngest age group had the highest while children from the oldest age group had the lowest MIH prevalence. Conclusion With a mean value of 14.8%, MIH prevalence among schoolchildren living in the canton of Basel-Landschaft, Switzerland, is comparable to mean values recorded globally. Clinical relevance This study represents the first study on MIH prevalence in Switzerland and also provides further evidence on potential influencing factors.

Dental caries and associated factors in 7‐, 12‐ and 15‐year‐old schoolchildren in the canton of Basel‐Landschaft, Switzerland: Changes in caries experience from 1992 to 2021

“…Criteria for diagnosing the dentition status and the coding used were according to the guidelines of the WHO 8 . Molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) was diagnosed as described by Grieshaber et al 10 and is based on the evaluation system described by Steffen et al 11 …”

“…MIH values per child were presented as a dichotomous variable, with ‘1’ representing the presence of MIH (yes) and ‘0’ representing the absence of MIH (no) 10 …”

“…The sampling procedure and the selection of participants have been described in detail by Grieshaber et al 10 In order to examine comparable age groups and sample sizes as in previous studies conducted in the canton of Basel-Landschaft, that is children aged 7, 12 and 15 years, a random sampling of school classes from first, sixth and ninth grades was performed. 7,10 After 2 years at kindergarten, children in the canton of Basel-Landschaft first spend 6 years at a primary school before switching to a secondary school for the last 3 years. The secondary school has three different sections where children are assigned based on their school performance, that is Section A (general requirements), Section E (extended requirements) and Section P (baccalaureate-level requirements).…”

“…MIH values per child were presented as a dichotomous variable, with '1' representing the presence of MIH (yes) and '0' representing the absence of MIH (no). 10 Age was calculated as the difference between the date of the dental examination and the date of birth.…”

“…The classification of the children's places of residence was based on the regional typology published by the Federal Statistical Office [13][14][15] and corresponds to the procedure described by Grieshaber et al 10 In brief, the algorithm used for the classification into rural, intermediate or urban region includes both morphological and functional criteria such as the permanent residual population or jobs/employed persons in the respective region.…”