Restoration or Extraction as Dental Therapy in First Permanent Molars With Severe Hypomineralized Enamel (MIH) - a National Randomized Prospective Multicenter Study

First permanent molars often show areas of porous and hypomineralized enamel. This manifests itself clinically as whitish-yellow to brownish well-defined spots and, in severe disorders, disintegration of enamel. One to all molars are affected and at the same time, the permanent incisors may show opacities. The condition is called Molar-Incisor Hypomineralization (MIH) and occurs in 14% of children globally.

Affected teeth create problems for the individual. The teeth are often painful, e.g. when brushing teeth, cold food/drink, or even when inhaling cold air. Dental treatment can be painful because it is difficult to get adequate anesthesia, probably due to subclinical pulp inflammation caused by the porosity of the enamel.

Molars with severely demineralized enamel need dental care shortly after they have erupted due to decay and subsequent caries. 9-year-old children with severe MIH had their PFM treated almost ten times as often as a healthy control group. In case of widespread decay and hypersensitivity, extraction may be a treatment option.

Two retrospective studies dealing with the extraction of first permanent molars due to MIH have been published: one study found that 87% showed acceptable gap closure and another study showed that 3 of 27 extraction cases had an objective need and only one case had a subjective need for orthodontic gap closure after the extraction. A review article discusses the scientific basis for treating severe first permanent molar due to severe MIH, and the author claims that both the profession and the public today believe in a more conservative restorative treatment. However, he states that there is a need for well-controlled long-term studies.

The aim is to long-term evaluate extraction or restoration therapy, of first permanent molars with extensive treatment needs as a result of severe MIH in a national multicenter study concerning dental fear and anxiety, oral health-related quality of life, jaw development, and health economics.