ABSTRACT
Developmental defects of the enamel are the result of alterations during amelogenesis due to hereditary, systemic or environmental factors. The present study was done to determine the frequency of developmental defects of enamel in primary teeth at Children Hospital PIMS, Islamabad from February 2011 to January 2012. The study was cross sectional and sample comprised of 300 children, which included 182 [60.7%] males and 118 [39.3%] females. The mean age of the studied population was 3.63 +/- 1.05 years. Enamel defects were present in 115 [38.3%] children. Out of 182 males 69 [37.9%] males and out of 118 females,46 [38.9%] females had enamel defect; thus frequency of enamel defect was not significantly different between the two genders [p=0.852]. The mean age of the children with enamel defect was 3.74 +/- 1.00 and mean age of children without enamel defect was 3.55 +/- 1.06 years respectively. This difference was not statistically significant [p=0.124]. Frequency of enamel defect was significantly higher among families with higher income categories [p=0.020].Out of 300 children, 185 [61.7%] had normal enamel, 5 [1%] had only demarcated opacity, 9 [3%] had only diffuse opacity, 80 [26.7%] had only hypoplasia, 3 [1%] had demarcatead diffuse opacity, 3 [1%] had demarcated opacity with hypoplasia, 13 [4.3%] had diffuse opacity with hypoplasia and 2 [0.7%] had all three defects. Present study concluded that more than one third of the children had developmental defects of enamel in primary teeth and most frequent lesion was enamel hypoplasia