Evaluation of the relationship between MIH severity and dental fear among the children

Abstract

Objective: Molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH), a quite common condition in pediatric dentistry, whose treatment might seem complicated, manifests itself with severe dental anxiety and fear that can cause behavioral problems. Although dental fear is seen in almost all cases, it is believed that dental fear will increase as the severity of MIH increases. This study evaluates the relationship between MIH severity and dental fear.
 Material and Methods: Children Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) was used to measure dental fear in 58 (51.79%) children whose teeth suffered from mild, moderate or severe MIH and 54 (48.21%) children with healthy teeth. Scores between 1 (not afraid at all) and 5 (very afraid) were given according to the responses. Each question was evaluated separately in order to obtain the total score.
 Results: Children with severe MIH who participated in the study were proved to be more afraid of the dentists, drill sounds, injections, placement of instruments in the mouth, choking and going to the hospital; and there was a statistically significant difference (p<0.05).
 Conclusion: Although it was observed that the severity of MIH and dental fear are correlated and dental fear increases with the increase in the MIH severity, further studies in this subject are necessary.