Abstract Maternal mental health affects their children’s oral health. This study assessed the associations between maternal mental health and dental anxiety level, dental caries experience, oral hygiene, and gingival status among 6- to 12-year-old children in Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional study that recruited mother-child dyad participants through a household survey conducted in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Data collected included the independent (maternal mental health risk, depressive symptoms, and child’s dental anxiety), and dependent (caries experience, oral hygiene status, and gingival health status) variables. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the associations between dependent and independent variables after adjusting for confounders (mothers’ age, child’s age, sex, and socioeconomic status). Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Of the 1411 mothers recruited, 1248 (88.4%) had low mental health risk, and 896 (63.5%) had mild depressive symptoms. As for the children, 53 (3.8%) had caries, 745 (52.8%) had moderate to high dental anxiety, 953 (63.0%) had gingivitis and 36 (2.6%) had poor oral hygiene. The maternal mental health risk was not significantly associated with the child’s caries experience (AOR: 1.012; 95%CI: 0.860–1.190; p = 0.886), poor oral hygiene (AOR:1.037; 95%CI: 0.975–1.104; p=0.250), and moderate/severe gingivitis (AOR:0.887; 95%CI: 0.764–1.030; p = 0.115). Maternal depression status was not significantly associated with the child’s caries experience (AOR: 0.910; 95%CI: 0.802–1.033; p = 0.145), poor oral hygiene (AOR: 1.016; 95%CI: 0.976–1.057; p = 0.439), and moderate/severe gingivitis (AOR: 0.963; 95%CI: 0.861–1.077; p = 0.509). Maternal mental health risk and depression do not seem to be risk factors for schoolchildren’s oral health in Nigeria. Further studies are needed to understand these findings. childrens s level 6 12yearold yearold 12 year old Nigeria crosssectional cross sectional motherchild mother child IleIfe, IleIfe Ile Ife, Ife Ile-Ife symptoms childs , anxiety) (mothers age sex status. . 005 0 05 0.05 141 124 88.4% 884 88 4 (88.4% 89 63.5% 635 63 5 (63.5% 3.8% 38 3 8 (3.8% 74 52.8% 528 52 (52.8% 95 63.0% 630 (63.0% 2.6% 26 2 (2.6% AOR (AOR 1.012 1012 1 012 95%CI 95CI CI 0.860–1.190 08601190 860 190 0.886, 0886 0.886 886 0.886) AOR1.037 AOR1037 1.037 037 (AOR:1.037 0.975–1.104 09751104 975 104 p=0.250, p0250 p=0.250 250 p=0.250) moderatesevere severe AOR0.887 AOR0887 0.887 887 (AOR:0.887 0.764–1.030 07641030 764 030 0.115. 0115 0.115 115 0.115) 0.910 0910 910 0.802–1.033 08021033 802 033 0.145, 0145 0.145 145 0.145) 1.016 1016 016 0.976–1.057 09761057 976 057 0.439, 0439 0.439 439 0.439) 0.963 0963 963 0.861–1.077 08611077 861 077 0.509. 0509 0.509 509 0.509) schoolchildrens schoolchildren findings 00 0.0 14 88.4 (88.4 63.5 (63.5 3.8 (3.8 7 52.8 (52.8 9 63.0 (63.0 2.6 (2.6 1.01 101 01 0.860–1.19 0860119 86 19 088 0.88 AOR1 AOR1.03 AOR103 1037 1.03 03 (AOR:1.03 0.975–1.10 0975110 97 10 p025 p=0.25 25 AOR0 AOR0.88 AOR088 0887 (AOR:0.88 0.764–1.03 0764103 76 011 0.11 11 0.91 091 91 0.802–1.03 0802103 80 014 0.14 0.976–1.05 0976105 043 0.43 43 0.96 096 96 0.861–1.07 0861107 07 050 0.50 50 0. 88. (88. 63. (63. 3. (3. 52. (52. 2. (2. 1.0 0.860–1.1 086011 08 0.8 AOR1.0 AOR10 103 (AOR:1.0 0.975–1.1 097511 p02 p=0.2 AOR0.8 AOR08 (AOR:0.8 0.764–1.0 076410 0.1 0.9 09 0.802–1.0 080210 0.976–1.0 097610 04 0.4 0.861–1.0 086110 0.5 (88 (63 (3 (52 (2 1. 0.860–1. 08601 AOR1. (AOR:1. 0.975–1. 09751 p0 p=0. AOR0. (AOR:0. 0.764–1. 07641 0.802–1. 08021 0.976–1. 09761 0.861–1. 08611 (8 (6 ( (5 0.860–1 0860 (AOR:1 0.975–1 0975 p=0 (AOR:0 0.764–1 0764 0.802–1 0802 0.976–1 0976 0.861–1 0861 0.860– 086 0.975– 097 p= 0.764– 076 0.802– 080 0.976– 0.861– 0.860 0.975 0.764 0.802 0.976 0.861 0.86 0.97 0.76 0.80 0.7

Abstract This study assessed the difference in the number of visits made to a dental care clinic and the time spent providing specific dental treatment for children with and without molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH). Children aged 8 to 16 years who presented at the Pediatric Dental Unit of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, were eligible for the study. A comprehensive medical and dental history was taken, and each child was clinically examined, diagnosed, and treated according to a drawn-up plan. The time taken to establish a diagnosis and to provide specific treatments (scaling and polishing, restoration, pulpectomy, extraction, and placement of stainless steel crowns) and the number of visits made to complete the treatment plan were recorded for each child. Differences in the number of visits, time expended to make a diagnosis and to treat children with and without MIH were analyzed. The average time for diagnosis (p = 0.001) and the average time for placing amalgam restorations (p = 0.008) were significantly longer in children with MIH than in those without it. Children with MIH made more visits to the clinic (p < 0.001).There was no significant difference in the average time for scaling and polishing (p = 0.08), glass ionomer cement restorations (p = 0.99), composite restorations (p = 0.26), pulpectomy (p = 0.42), tooth extraction (p = 0.06), and placement of a stainless steel crown (p = 0.83) in children with and without MIH. In conclusion, children with MIH required more time for oral health care. Placing amalgam restorations took significantly longer than placing tooth bonding restorative materials in children with MIH than in those without it.