Aim: The objective of this research was to determine the incidence and severity of HSPM and its association with caries in 4-5 year-old children in Latakia, Syria.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with 600 preschool children. The European Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (EAPD) criteria were used for scoring HSPM. The decayed, missing and filled teeth (dmft) index was used to evaluate caries status.
Results: The prevalence of HSPM was 41%. The difference in HSPM prevalence between males and females was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Children with HSPM are more likely to have dental caries (OR 6.69; CI 4.5_10; p < 0.001).
Conclusions: The prevalence of HSPM was relatively high in Syrian children. HSPM increases the incidence of caries.
Keywords: Caries; Hypomineralisation; Prevalence; Second primary molars; Syria.