Are the Internet users concerned about molar incisor hypomineralization? An infoveillance study.

BACKGROUND

Molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) is a developmental enamel defect characterized by well-demarcated discolorations frequently detected in molars, causing pain and esthetic alterations.

AIM

To assess the interests of Google users on MIH-related information.

DESIGN

Digital data were collected in Google Trends through two search strategies, 'molar incisor hypomineralization' (topic) and 'MIH' (search term), between January 2004 and November 2018. ARIMA models were applied to analyze trends of curves and to predict the activity of Google users during 12 months. Autocorrelation and partial autocorrelation (ACF/PACF) plots were used to detect trends in the variation of relative search volume (RSV) related to search strategies over time. The most popular queries were analyzed qualitatively, whereas geographical heat maps were retrieved to determine search volumes according to countries (P < .05).

RESULTS

Gradual increasing trends were detected, with forecasts indicating similar levels of RSVs to the period between December 2017 and November 2018. Most popular queries and topics were associated with MIH diagnosis, being retrieved predominantly in European countries.

CONCLUSIONS

The activity of Google users related to this condition is maintained low, with a reduced intensification over time, suggesting that the awareness on MIH is probably confined to dentists and affected people worldwide.