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Use of Images and Clinical Experience to Calibrate Dental Surgeons for the Diagnosis of Molar Incisor Hypomineralization

ABSTRACT

Objective:

To evaluate an imaging protocol for use as a diagnostic and calibration tool for dentists before and after practical activity.

Material and Methods:

Thirty photos of children's teeth with or without changes in dental enamel were selected and evaluated by a group of experienced dentists previously calibrated to establish the diagnosis defined as the gold standard. After instructions, the images were shown to a group of postgraduate dentists for free identification of dental changes. Subsequently, a lecture on molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) was carried out, and, at 14 days and all calibration was performed using the criteria previously. The retest was performed at 28 days. After experience in clinical activity in the following two weeks, the post-test was performed at 49 days. Data were analyzed using Cohen's kappa coefficient.

Results:

Theoretical learning on the subject showed low inter-examiner agreement when the diagnosis of defects was made from images obtained from intraoral photographs. After clinical practice, there was greater intra-examiner agreement. After theoretical training, dentists started to identify different types of enamel alteration, although with low agreement between them.

Conclusion:

Clinical experience in theoretical and imaging training favored the identification of defects. However, it is necessary to improve the protocol to establish a reliable and viable diagnostic method for calibration in MIH.

Keywords:
Diagnosis; Education; Professional; Dental Enamel Hypoplasia; Calibration

Introduction

Defined as hypomineralization that affects the permanent first molars often associated with affected incisors, molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) is characterized by major clinical problems, making the treatment of these teeth difficult because first molars with this condition are fragile and are susceptible to caries disease [1[1] Weerheijm KL. Molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH). Eur J Paediatr Dent 2003; 4(3):114-20.]. Enamel defects with MIH are characterized by alterations of different severities of hypomineralization, which follow the natural incremental lines of enamel formation, in which the more occlusal outer part is more affected than, the deeper part of the defect, located cervically [2[2] Farah RA, Swain MV, Drummond BK, Cook R, Atieh M. Mineral density of hypomineralised enamel. J Dent 2010; 38(1):50-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2009.09.002
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2009.09....
]. The combined prevalence of MIH is 12.9% [3[3] Zhao D, Dong B, Yu D, Ren Q, Sun Y. The prevalence of molar incisor hypomineralization: evidence from 70 studies. Int J Paediatr Dent 2018; 28(2):170-9. https://doi.org/10.1111/ipd.12323
https://doi.org/10.1111/ipd.12323...
] to 14.2% [4[4] Schwendicke F, Elhennawy K, Reda S, Bekes K, Manton DJ, Krois J. Corrigendum to "Global burden of molar incisor hypomineralization" [J. Dent. 68C (2018) 10-18]. J Dent 2019; 80:89-92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2018.11.006
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2018.11....
] in the world population and 13.48% in Brazil [5[5] Silva FMF, Zhou Y, Vieira FGF, Carvalho FM, Costa MC, Vieira AR. Defining the prevalence of molar incisor hypomineralization in Brazil. Pesqui Bras Odontopediatria Clín Integr 2020; 20:e5146. https://doi.org/10.1590/pboci.2020.021
https://doi.org/10.1590/pboci.2020.021...
], which can reach 40.2% [6[6] Soviero V, Haubek D, Trindade C, Da Matta T, Poulsen S. Prevalence and distribution of demarcated opacities and their sequelae in permanent 1st molars and incisors in 7 to 13-year-old Brazilian children. Acta Odontol Scand 2009; 67(3):170-5. https://doi.org/10.1080/00016350902758607
https://doi.org/10.1080/0001635090275860...
]. However, many dentists still don’t know the different clinical manifestations of the disease.

According to a recent systematic review, the etiology of MIH is still uncertain due to the lack of consistency and confounding factors of scientific evidence, in which a limited number of studies have reported associations between perinatal and neonatal changes and the development of MIH, such as alcohol consumption, fever and medications in pregnancy, as well as childhood illnesses [7[7] Silva MJ, Scurrah KJ, Craig JM, Manton DJ, Kilpatrick N. Etiology of molar incisor hypomineralization - a systematic review. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2016; 44(4):342-53. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdoe.12229
https://doi.org/10.1111/cdoe.12229...
]. MIH also has a genetic component, which results in lower expression of some genes during the formation of tooth enamel [8[8] Vieira AR, Kup E. On the etiology of molar-incisor hypomineralization. Caries Res 2016; 50(2):166-9. https://doi.org/10.1159/000445128
https://doi.org/10.1159/000445128...
]. More recently, it has been hypothesized that an interaction between genetic factors and environmental modifiers may be involved in the occurrence of MIH [9[9] Bezamat M, Souza JF, Silva FMF, Corrêa EG, Fatturi AL, Brancher JA, et al. Gene-environment interaction in molar-incisor hypomineralization. PLoS One 2021; 16(1):e0241898. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0241898
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.024...
]. Due to the period of concomitant mineralization of the deciduous second molars, first molars and permanent incisors, and the prevalence of MIH-type opacities in 2 or more teeth, the occurrence of these opacities in deciduous second molars can be termed as hypomineralization of the second primary molars (HSPM) [10[10] Ghanim A, Elfrink M, Weerheijm K, Mariño R, Manton D. A practical method for use in epidemiological studies on enamel hypomineralisation. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent 2015; 16(3):235-46. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-015-0178-8
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-015-0178-...
,11[11] Elfrink MEC, Ghanim A, Manton DJ, Weerheijm KL. Standardised studies on molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) and hypomineralised second primary molars (HSPM): a need. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent 2015; 16(3):247-55. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-015-0179-7
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-015-0179-...
] and represents an important predictor of the occurrence of MIH [12[12] Garot E, Denis A, Delbos Y, Manton D, Silva M, Rouas P. Are hypomineralised lesions on second primary molars (HSPM) a predictive sign of molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH)? a systematic review and a meta-analysis. J Dent 2018; 72:8-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2018.03.005
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2018.03....
,13[13] Vlachou C, Arhakis A, Kotsanos N. Distribution and morphology of enamel hypomineralisation defects in second primary molars. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent 2021; 22(2):241-6. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-020-00543-9
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-020-00543...
].

Due to the common subjectivity in the diagnosis of most oral pathologies, it is common that there are variations between oral exams repeated by the same professional (intra-examiner) or between professionals that make up the team (inter-examiner) [14[14] Ministry of Health. Project SB2000: Oral Health Conditions of the Brazilian Population in the year 2000: Calibration Manual for Examiners. Brasília: Ministry of Health; 2001. 31p. [In Portuguese].,15[15] Peres MA, Traebert J, Marcenes W. Calibration of examiners for dental caries epidemiology studies. Cad Saúde Pública 2001; 17(1):153-9. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-311X2001000100016
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-311X200100...
]. To minimize these variations, it is recommended that calibration be carried out between examiners to ensure uniformity and consistency in the interpretation, understanding and application of the criteria and codes determined to assess the disease [14[14] Ministry of Health. Project SB2000: Oral Health Conditions of the Brazilian Population in the year 2000: Calibration Manual for Examiners. Brasília: Ministry of Health; 2001. 31p. [In Portuguese].

[15] Peres MA, Traebert J, Marcenes W. Calibration of examiners for dental caries epidemiology studies. Cad Saúde Pública 2001; 17(1):153-9. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-311X2001000100016
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-311X200100...
-16[16] World Health Organization. Oral health surveys: basic methods. 5th. ed. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2013. 126p.]. A well-defined training and calibration method is extremely important for the development of scientific studies and field research [17[17] Jälevik B. Prevalence and diagnosis of molar-incisor-hypomineralisation (MIH): a systematic review. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent 2010; 11(2):59-64. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03262714
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03262714...
]. Team training processes offer the opportunity to reconcile different opinions resulting in better agreement among its participants [18[18] Partido BB. Ergonomics calibration training utilizing photography for dental hygiene faculty members. J Dent Educ 2017; 81(10):1187-93. https://doi.org/10.21815/JDE.017.078
https://doi.org/10.21815/JDE.017.078...
]. If significant discrepancies are detected, the assessment should be repeated and the results reassessed [14[14] Ministry of Health. Project SB2000: Oral Health Conditions of the Brazilian Population in the year 2000: Calibration Manual for Examiners. Brasília: Ministry of Health; 2001. 31p. [In Portuguese].,15[15] Peres MA, Traebert J, Marcenes W. Calibration of examiners for dental caries epidemiology studies. Cad Saúde Pública 2001; 17(1):153-9. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-311X2001000100016
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-311X200100...
].

The agreement rate between examiners is a simple method to reveal the results obtained in the calibration processes; however, it does not take into account the agreement due to chance [15[15] Peres MA, Traebert J, Marcenes W. Calibration of examiners for dental caries epidemiology studies. Cad Saúde Pública 2001; 17(1):153-9. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-311X2001000100016
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-311X200100...
]. In this context, the kappa test has been widely used to adjust the percentage agreement statistic [14[14] Ministry of Health. Project SB2000: Oral Health Conditions of the Brazilian Population in the year 2000: Calibration Manual for Examiners. Brasília: Ministry of Health; 2001. 31p. [In Portuguese].]. We believe that the use of images associated with clinical experience may favor MIH diagnosis training. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess a protocol for use as a calibration instrument for dentists for the diagnosis of MIH. The protocol was developed and tested at the Dental Enamel Clinic at the School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto at University of São Paulo, Brazil.

Material and Methods

Initially, the study was submitted and approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto at University of São Paulo (CAAE 12161019.2.0000.5419). To support the preparation of the MIH protocol, an international literature review was carried out in the PubMed database, with articles in English, to identify existing evidence on the subject and the development of calibration protocols.

A screening was carried out with children from the city of Santa Rosa do Viterbo (SP, Brazil), selected those with alterations in tooth enamel and referred to the School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo. These children were assisted in the discipline of the Graduate Program in Pediatric Dentistry in the discipline “Clínica do Esmalte Dental”, where the clinical examination and diagnosis were performed. After the parents signed the Informed Consent Form, the children were photographed with a professional digital camera (Canon EOS Rebel T6i, Tokyo, Japan).

To constitute the calibration protocol, 30 photographs were selected. Of these, 17 images were related to MIH (atypical caries lesion, demarcated opacity, post-eruptive fracture, atypical restoration), 8 with non-MIH enamel alterations (amelogenesis imperfecta, hypoplasia, diffuse opacity, non-HMI hypomineralization), 4 had teeth no clinically visible changes and 1 not diagnosable (very little erupted tooth).

The images selected for the protocol were evaluated by a group of 10 dentists specialized in Pediatric Dentistry, trained in MIH diagnosis and previously calibrated to establish a diagnosis defined by consensus as the gold standard. Differences were discussed with the group until a 100% agreement was reached between them. In situations where the agreement has not occurred in 100% of cases, images were replaced by another's that presented the same clinical condition.

The mapping criteria (scores) were based on the protocol by Ghanim et al. [10[10] Ghanim A, Elfrink M, Weerheijm K, Mariño R, Manton D. A practical method for use in epidemiological studies on enamel hypomineralisation. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent 2015; 16(3):235-46. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-015-0178-8
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-015-0178-...
,19[19] Ghanim A, Silva MJ, Elfrink MEC, Lygidakis NA, Mariño RJ, Weerheijm KL, et al. Molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) training manual for clinical field surveys and practice. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent 2017; 18(4):225-42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-017-0293-9
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-017-0293-...
], with adaptations to the clinical reality of the patients seen (Table 1). The exercises were performed following the instructions based on Ghanim et al. [19[19] Ghanim A, Silva MJ, Elfrink MEC, Lygidakis NA, Mariño RJ, Weerheijm KL, et al. Molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) training manual for clinical field surveys and practice. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent 2017; 18(4):225-42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-017-0293-9
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-017-0293-...
] and adapted as observed in Table 2.

Table 1
Mapping criteria (scores) adapted from Ghanim et al. [10[10] Ghanim A, Elfrink M, Weerheijm K, Mariño R, Manton D. A practical method for use in epidemiological studies on enamel hypomineralisation. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent 2015; 16(3):235-46. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-015-0178-8
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-015-0178-...
,19[19] Ghanim A, Silva MJ, Elfrink MEC, Lygidakis NA, Mariño RJ, Weerheijm KL, et al. Molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) training manual for clinical field surveys and practice. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent 2017; 18(4):225-42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-017-0293-9
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-017-0293-...
].
Table 2
Instructions for performing the calibration exercise.

After instructions, the images were shown to a group of dentists in post-graduation (n=7), as a pre-test for diagnostic assessment, on the first day of the study [18[18] Partido BB. Ergonomics calibration training utilizing photography for dental hygiene faculty members. J Dent Educ 2017; 81(10):1187-93. https://doi.org/10.21815/JDE.017.078
https://doi.org/10.21815/JDE.017.078...
,20[20] Garland KV, Newell KJ. Dental hygiene faculty calibration in the evaluation of calculus detection. J Dent Educ 2009; 73(3):383-9. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.0022-0337.2009.73.3.tb04710.x
https://doi.org/10.1002/j.0022-0337.2009...
]. The images were projected and a specific form was filled in for free identification of the alterations presented in the teeth. In the second week, a training program on calibration in relation to the diagnosis of MIH was carried out. This training was applied by an experienced calibrator and consisted of two lectures on the subject, available on a digital platform for one week, using images and theoretical content with an updated scientific basis. Etiology, diagnosis, treatment and training for filling out the calibration exercise form were addressed.

In the third week, the students performed the first calibration. The images with marked regions of interest were randomly displayed using the Nearpod digital platform to perform an interactive calibration and facilitate obtaining the results. After two weeks, the participants discussed the diagnosis of each image for comparison with the previously established gold standard, and the second calibration was also performed with random redistribution of images on the digital platform. Over the next two weeks, the group performed diagnoses and clinical care on children who had various dental enamel defects, with a predominance of MIH. After this period, a post-test was also performed with a random display on the digital platform to verify the results of the calibrations associated with the clinical experience in the discipline. The adopted scores were the same in all activities. The chronological scheme of activities is shown in Table 3.

Table 3
Activity schedule for testing the calibration protocol in MIH.

The data obtained were evaluated to compare divergences and agreements in comparison with the gold standard. Cohen's kappa coefficient was used to analyze all MIH diagnostic scores and to assess agreement in interand intra-examiner responses. The interpretation of the kappa coefficient indices determines the classification of the calibration according to the degree of agreement obtained, being proposed that: <0 = poor agreement; 0 to 0.2 = slight agreement; 0.21 to 0.4 = fair agreement; 0.41 to 0.6 = moderate agreement; 0.61 to 0.8 = substantial agreement; 0.81 to 1 = almost perfect agreement [21[21] Cohen J. Weighted kappa: nominal scale agreement with provision for scaled disagreement or partial credit. Psychol Bull 1968; 70(4):213-20. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0026256
https://doi.org/10.1037/h0026256...
,22[22] Landis JR, Koch GG. The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics 1977; 33(1):159-74. https://doi.org/10.2307/2529310
https://doi.org/10.2307/2529310...
].

Results

In the pre-test (assessment with discursive responses), there was wide variation in diagnoses between individuals, demonstrating the subjectivity of the assessments, mostly classifying MIH lesions as other alterations, such as amelogenesis imperfecta, fluorosis and non-MIH hypomineralization.

In the first calibration, after the video lessons, there was 46.2% agreement and 53.8% disagreement with the responses established as the gold standard. Individually, the agreement in the answers ranged from 36.7% to 66.7% among the participants. The inter-examiner kappa index showed variations, with almost all being less than or equal to 0, revealing poor agreement between the participants. Only one student had a fair agreement (κ =0.33) (Table 4).

Table 4
Agreement and kappa coefficient (κ) results after the first calibration (after video classes).

In the second calibration, after image-by-image discussion, 62.9% of agreement and 37.1% of disagreement with the gold standard were obtained, and agreement in the responses varied, individually, from 40% to 80% between the participants. Regarding the inter-examiner kappa index, only one participant had a negative value, two participants had values from 0 to 0.2, one participant had 0.27 and the others ranged between 0.47 and 0.6. Thus, a moderate agreement between the group responses was observed for almost half of the participants. On the other hand, intra-examiner agreement was found to be poor or slight, as the highest index obtained was 0.13 (Table 5).

Table 5
Agreement and kappa coefficient results after the second calibration (after discussion with gold standard image-by-image).

In the post-test, after clinical treatment of patients with MIH, there was 69.5% agreement and 30.5% disagreement with the gold standard, with only one participant showing agreement below 70%. There was a fair inter-examiner agreement in almost all cases, in which one participant had a kappa index of 0.27 and five participants had 0.4. In addition, there was a moderate agreement for one participant (κ =0.47). Regarding intra-examiner agreement, there was a slight agreement for three participants, with indices of 0.13 and 0.2; moderate agreement for three other participants, with indices of 0.47 and 0.53; and substantial agreement for one participant (κ = 0.7) (Table 6).

Table 6
Results of agreement and kappa coefficient in the post-test (after clinic).

Discussion

Population's oral health is impacted by demographic conditions and oral conditions have worsen worldwide and leading to an increase in untreated dental problems [23[23] Kassebaum NJ, Smith AGC, Bernabé E, Fleming TD, Reynolds AE, Vos T, et al. Global, regional, and national prevalence, incidence, and disability-adjusted life years for oral conditions for 195 Countries, 1990-2015: A systematic analysis for the global burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors. J Dent Res 2017; 96(4):380-7. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022034517693566
https://doi.org/10.1177/0022034517693566...
]. In this context, and considering the relevant prevalence of MIH, the adequate training of dentists to identify and manage this enamel defect is essential since the wrong diagnosis can lead to an increase in individual and collective losses as related oral problems, decreased quality of life, psychological damage and greater need for dental and general health support for the population [24[24] Jälevik B, Klingberg G. Treatment outcomes and dental anxiety in 18-year-olds with MIH, comparisons with healthy controls - a longitudinal study. Int J Paediatr Dent 2012; 22(2):85-91. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-263X.2011.01161.x
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-263X.2011...

[25] Schwendicke F, Elhennawy K, Reda S, Bekes K, Manton DJ, Krois J. Global burden of molar incisor hypomineralization. J Dent 2018; 68:10-18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2017.12.002
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2017.12....

[26] Portella PD, Menoncin BLV, de Souza JF, de Menezes JVNB, Fraiz FC, Assunção LRDS. Impact of molar incisor hypomineralization on quality of life in children with early mixed dentition: A hierarchical approach. Int J Paediatr Dent 2019; 29(4):496-506. https://doi.org/10.1111/ipd.12482
https://doi.org/10.1111/ipd.12482...
-27[27] Rodd HD, Graham A, Tajmehr N, Timms L, Hasmun N. Molar incisor hypomineralisation: current knowledge and practice. Int Dent J 2021; 71(4):285-91. https://doi.org/10.1111/idj.12624
https://doi.org/10.1111/idj.12624...
].

According to the World Health Organization, in training for epidemiological data collection, it is recommended that an experienced professional be defined in relation to the diagnostic methodology used to act as a gauge in epidemiological training [16[16] World Health Organization. Oral health surveys: basic methods. 5th. ed. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2013. 126p.]. This professional must analyze at least 25 individuals, who must also be evaluated by the examiners. In addition, the studies produced a valid and reliable tool for evaluating the MIH, providing training for professionals on this alteration and assisting in large epidemiological studies [19[19] Ghanim A, Silva MJ, Elfrink MEC, Lygidakis NA, Mariño RJ, Weerheijm KL, et al. Molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) training manual for clinical field surveys and practice. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent 2017; 18(4):225-42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-017-0293-9
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-017-0293-...
,28[28] Ghanim A, Mariño R, Manton DJ. Validity and reproducibility testing of the Molar Incisor Hypomineralisation (MIH) Index. Int J Paediatr Dent 2019; 29(1):6-13. https://doi.org/10.1111/ipd.12433
https://doi.org/10.1111/ipd.12433...
]. In this sense, the elaboration of the protocol sought, through photographs, enough samples so that there was no prejudice in the assessment of the group of dentists submitted to calibration.

When evaluating the professional calibration process, the results of the exams must be compared and if the variability is considerable, it is recommended that the examiner review the diagnostic criteria and carry out additional exams until acceptable consistency is reached. The evaluation of the consistency of each examiner (intra-examiner reproducibility) is made from the repetition of the exams and the subsequent comparison between each pair of exams [14[14] Ministry of Health. Project SB2000: Oral Health Conditions of the Brazilian Population in the year 2000: Calibration Manual for Examiners. Brasília: Ministry of Health; 2001. 31p. [In Portuguese].], which supported the random use of the imaging protocol at each calibration step.

The kappa coefficient is recognized as a robust statistical method used to assess reliability between examiners among themselves and among the tested group. The indices used assume values ranging from -1 to +1, considering the occurrence of hits due to chance [20[20] Garland KV, Newell KJ. Dental hygiene faculty calibration in the evaluation of calculus detection. J Dent Educ 2009; 73(3):383-9. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.0022-0337.2009.73.3.tb04710.x
https://doi.org/10.1002/j.0022-0337.2009...
]. The closer to 1, the more agreement is characterized and the closer to zero, the greater the indicator of merely random agreement [29[29] McHugh ML. Interrater reliability: the kappa statistic. Biochem Med 2012; 22(3):276-82. https://doi.org/10.11613/BM.2012.031
https://doi.org/10.11613/BM.2012.031...
].

The analyzes showed better intra-examiner results in the post-test when, in addition to theoretical training and discussion of the gold standard, the participants also clinically experienced the diagnosis and treatment of enamel and MIH defects. This show that the clinical experience enabled the establishment of self-confidence to the examiners, promoting, for the most part, the ratification of the diagnosis that was previously based on the theoretical content. In addition, the increased agreement in responses compared to the gold standard highlights the importance of clinical experience in determining the proper diagnosis of dental alterations.

The clinical experience, after the dynamics of learning in MIH diagnosis, is essential to fix the various aspects of this defect and to train professionals to differentiate it from other alterations, especially when the MIH stage manifests easily whitish or yellowish spots confused with dental fluorosis. Thus, it is necessary to proceed with the continuation of clinical guidelines for understanding the changes, diagnosis and efficient treatment of children affected with MIH [27[27] Rodd HD, Graham A, Tajmehr N, Timms L, Hasmun N. Molar incisor hypomineralisation: current knowledge and practice. Int Dent J 2021; 71(4):285-91. https://doi.org/10.1111/idj.12624
https://doi.org/10.1111/idj.12624...
,30[30] Gambetta-Tessini K, Mariño R, Ghanim A, Calache H, Manton DJ. Knowledge, ex-perience and perceptions regarding Molar-Incisor Hypomineralisation (MIH) amongst Australian and Chilean public oral health care practitioners. BMC Oral Health 2016; 16(1):75. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-016-0279-8
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-016-0279-...
,31[31] Serna-Muñoz C, Martínez-Beneyto Y, Pérez-Silva A, Poza-Pascual A, Ibáñez-López FJ, Ortiz-Ruiz AJ. Perception, knowledge, and attitudes towards molar incisor hypomineralization among Spanish dentists: a cross-sectional study. BMC Oral Health 2020; 20(1):260. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-020-01249-6
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-020-01249...
].

Studies that use photographs and video dynamics are the tools of choice when faced with ethical issues and present the best results for analyzing the knowledge of professionals [32[32] Craveia J, Rouas P, Carat T, Manton DJ, Boileau MJ, Garot E. Knowledge and management of first permanent molars with enamel hypomineralization among dentists and orthodontists. J Clin Pediatr Dent 2020; 44(1):20-7. https://doi.org/10.17796/1053-4625-44.1.4
https://doi.org/10.17796/1053-4625-44.1....
,33[33] Wall A, Leith R. A questionnaire study on perception and clinical management of molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) by Irish dentists. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent 2020; 21(6):703-10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-020-00519-9
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-020-00519...
]. In the tested protocol, the use of video classes promoted considerably poor agreement in the diagnosis of enamel defects among examiners, proving to be ineffective when applied as the only learning resource. On the other hand, the combination of instructional resources (video classes and discussion of photographic images), associated or not with clinical experience, revealed an improvement in the agreement of diagnoses, demonstrating the gradual consolidation of learning in the group of analyzed students.

In a recent study by Aguilar Gálvez et al. [34[34] Aguilar Gálvez D, Noal FC, Arriola-Guillén LE, Hugo FN, Leal SC, Araujo FB. Virtual learning object for developing knowledge about the diagnosis and management of molar incisor hypomineralization. Int J Paediatr Dent 2022; 32(4):458-63. https://doi.org/10.1111/ipd.12925
https://doi.org/10.1111/ipd.12925...
], training was developed for the diagnosis and control of MIH, being analyzed among undergraduate students and pediatric dentists. The training consisted only of visual resources, unlike our study, which had a clinical stage. Despite the methodological differences, the studies corroborated regarding the improvement of knowledge and understanding of the participants regarding the diagnosis of MIH after training.

The notable increase in the agreement of the answers with the gold standard observed in the post-test revealed the protocol created in this study as a useful teaching tool since the variation of the results obtained demonstrated a continuous evolution among students, from a complete subjectivity in the diagnosis of MIH to a more solid foundation, in accordance with the enhancement of learning. However, the inter-examiner reliability achieved proved to be insufficient for its recommendation as a safe instrument for MIH calibration. It is important to consider the low number of participants as the reason for this outcome, the main limitation of this study. Therefore, more studies are needed to improve the instrument to achieve satisfactory results that allow its use in the epidemiological training of MIH in the private and public spheres, impacting the advancement of population health policies. It is noteworthy that the degree of reliability must be continuously monitored through a periodic calibration exercise and an adjustment of the training programs must be carried out if a drop in these levels below total agreement is detected [18[18] Partido BB. Ergonomics calibration training utilizing photography for dental hygiene faculty members. J Dent Educ 2017; 81(10):1187-93. https://doi.org/10.21815/JDE.017.078
https://doi.org/10.21815/JDE.017.078...
].

Conclusion

The calibration protocol for the diagnosis of MIH is a useful tool for the learning of dentists when used in conjunction with theoretical resources, discussion of diagnostic imaging and clinical experience. However, considering the ethical aspects involved, its improvement is necessary to establish reliable and viable diagnostic methods for calibration in MIH.

  • Academic Editor: Alessandro Leite Cavalcanti
  • Financial Support
    None.

Data Availability

The data used to support the findings of this study can be made available upon request to the corresponding author.

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Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    10 July 2023
  • Date of issue
    2023

History

  • Received
    22 Feb 2022
  • Reviewed
    29 May 2022
  • Accepted
    13 July 2022
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