A child-centred measure of tooth hypersensitivity for molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH-TH): development and psychometric evaluation

Abstract

Abstract Purpose Children with molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) frequently experience tooth hypersensitivity (TH), affecting functional, emotional and social wellbeing. Various assessment methods have been used to investigate these impacts; however, there are concerns about the relevance and sensitivity of these methods as they have not involved children with MIH in their development. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a child-centred, condition-specific OHRQoL for MIH-related TH. Methods Children aged 6–16 years were included across three stages: Stage 1: semi-structured interviews to explore children’s experiences of TH ( N = 17); Stage 2: cognitive interviews and refinement ( N = 29), patient and public involvement (PPI), a Delphi survey, and stakeholder consensus group meeting; Stage 3: psychometric evaluation and Rasch analysis of the measure and comparison with CPQ 11-14 -ISF:16 ( N = 103). Results In Stage 1, five themes were identified: description, triggers, impact, responses, and experiences within the dental setting. Daily activities and emotional wellbeing were affected by TH, with cold stimuli reported as a common trigger. Children described adaptation strategies and the invisible nature of TH using rich vocabulary. The final measure demonstrated good internal consistency (McDonald’s omega: 0.87) and test–retest reliability (ICC = 0.74). There was a strong correlation with the global question ( r = 0.78), evidence of convergent validity with CPQ 11-14 -ISF: 16 ( r = 0.49) and responsiveness to change. Conclusion MIH-TH is the first child-centred OHRQoL patient-reported outcome measure for MIH-related TH in children, demonstrating good validity, reliability and responsiveness, with potential for use in clinical settings and research studies.