The aim of this study was to detect molar-incisor hypomineralization (MIH) and caries prevalence in eight-year-old children with early mixed dentition in Eastern Croatia. There is a lack of data on MIH in Croatia. There were 729 children examined in total: 356 (48.83%) were female and 373 (51.16%) were male. The presence of MIH was found in 95 children, the prevalence of MIH was 13%, and the remaining 634 (87%) did not have any changes associated with MIH. The prevalence of caries overall in the population of examined children was 11.48%. In the group of children with MIH, the prevalence of caries was 24.14%, while in the group of children with no MIH, the prevalence of caries was 11.18%. Teeth had a Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index of 1.2, the value of the SiC index was 1.4, and the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) index for deciduous teeth was 5.8. Children with MIH had a caries index of DMFT 2.1, and the value of the SiC index was 2.6. The index of caries for non-MIH children was DMFT 1.1 and the SiC index was 1.2. MIH prevalence in Croatia is more common in girls than in boys. MIH has a significant impact on children's development and is a major factor in the occurrence of caries.
Keywords: Croatia; caries; molar–incisor hypomineralization; prevalence.