Association Between Molar-Incisor Hypomineralization, Maternal Stress and Anxiety in a Group of Pediatric Patients : A Cross-Sectional Study.

Molar incisor hypomineralization is a medical global condition characterised by a qualitative defect in the enamel mineralization affecting the first permanent molar teeth predominantly, and with or without the involvement of incisor teeth. MIH have various and major clinical challenges. Clinically the lesion appears with well demarcated opacity and porous with a color that ranges from white, creamy or yellow to brownish. Thus differ in its severity from mild to severe. The OHRQoL is a fundamental part of our children's general health and well-being but with the condition mentioned above their eating, sleeping, social interaction, self-esteem is being minimized and so the analysis of the etiological factors should be carried out.

Worldwide the prevalence of this condition, MIH was found to be from 2.4 to 40%, the reason behind this huge range difference is the use of different indices, diagnostic criteria, variability between examiners, lack of standardized methods of recording lesions and different age groups, while recent studies in Egypt reported 2.3% of MIH in a group of Egyptian children from 8 to 12 years in Cairo. Moreover, 878 million people across the world were MIH-affected and 17.5 million new cases are identified each year according to a study published 02 August 2022 in Egypt.

Despite the worldwide increasing interest in the causes of MIH, there is still insufficient evidence to verify the etiological factors of this condition, especially stress and anxiety. There is a potential relationship between stress and MIH, as glucocorticoids mainly cortisol have receptors on ameloblasts and so further research and population-based studies are urgently required to evaluate the prevalence of MIH and its association with stress.