Clinical Survey of Caries Incidence in the Children with Cleft lip and Palate

The caries incidence was clinically examined in 119 children with cleft lip and palate (CLP; 65 male and 54 female; 2 to 14 years of age). At the lower age, the CLP children had more dental caries in the upper teeth than normal children, and, the caries prevalence became higher, with the increase in the age. In both primary and permanent dentitions, the CLP children showed an extremely high caries incidence in the upper anterior teeth, which was related to the presence of cleft. The characteristic oral structures of CLP patients; such as abnormalities of tooth position and axis, the presence of scars, and the absence of vestibular oris, increased the area on the tooth surfaces which afforded the protection from the self-cleaning activity in the mouth, and consequently induced high caries prevalence. These results indicated that it is necessary for the children with CLP to be instructed in oral hygiene procedures as soon as the primary tooth erupts.