Developmental Enamel Defects in deciduous dentition of a Dominican Community

Abstract

Introduction: Developmental Enamel Defects (DDE) can be represented as quantitative or qualitative deformations clinically visible in the dental surface due to alterations in the tooth development process. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of dental enamel defects in a 2 to 5 years old Dominican population. Material and Methods: This Epidemiological cross-sectional study was constituted by 192 children from a nursery school in a rural community of Santo Domingo. Dental examination was performed by 2 pediatric dentists trained with Ghanim et al. criteria (2017) (Kappa intra e inter-examiner > 0.7). Age and sex data was collected from school records. Descriptive and qui-quadrado (P=0.05) analyses were assessed. Results: A prevalence of DDE of 41% was identified, with no significant association between DDE and sex. The most prevalent defect was hypomineralization of second deciduous molars (HSMD), affecting 27% of the entire examined population. Considering only cases of HSMD, 35% had one molar affected and 15% had four molars affected. The most affected surface by HSMD was the buccal surface (90%), with the possibility of more than one surface being affected in the same tooth. Dental caries was present in 24% of the children, with a higher prevalence among children with DDE (p=0.006). Conclusion: The prevalence of DDE was high in this population, and the most prevalent defect was HSMD. There is an association between DDE and dental caries in this population.