Hypomineralized Primary Teeth in Preterm Low Birth Weight Children and Its Association with Molar Incisor Hypomineralization—A 3-Year-Prospective Study

Abstract

The present prospective study was conducted to assess the prevalence of enamel hypomineralization (EH) in primary dentition among preterm low birth weight (PT-LBW) children, incidence of molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) in the same cohorts, and to determine associations between PT-LBW, hypomineralization in primary second molars, and MIH. A total of 287 PTLBW study subjects and 290 control full-term normal birth weight subjects were followed up for 36 months. Enamel defects were recorded at baseline. The same cohorts were examined after 3 years for MIH using the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry (EAPD) criteria. Multiple variable logistic regression models were developed. A total of 279 children (48.4%) presented with EH in primary dentition and 207 (35.9%) children presented with MIH. Children with primary second molar hypomineralization had 2.13 (R2 = 0.19, 95% CI = 0.98–4.19, p = 0.005) times higher frequency of MIH. Children with PT-LBW had 3.02 times (R2 = 0.31, 95% CI = 1.01–5.94, p = 0.005) higher frequency of MIH incidence after adjusting for childhood infection, prenatal history, and presence of hypomineralized primary second molars. To conclude, the present study showed significant association between PT-LBW, hypomineralized second primary molars, and incidence of MIH.