Oral hygiene and dental caries status among patients with cleft lip, cleft palate and cleft lip, alveolus and palate in Chennai, India

Abstract

Background: Long-term health of the stomatognathic system as well as esthetic aspects are the therapeutic goals in patients with orofacial clefts. Aim: The aim of this study is to compare the oral hygiene and dental caries status among patients with cleft lip (CL), cleft palate (CP), and CL alveolus and palate (CLAP) reporting to a hospital in India. Materials and Methods: The study group consisted of 80 cleft patients. Subjects were divided into three groups. Group 1: Patients with CL, Group 2: Subjects with CP and Group 3: Subjects with CLAP. Oral Hygiene Index-Simplified (Greene and Vermillion in 1964), decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) (Klein, Palmer and Knutson in 1938) and deft Index (Grubbel in 1944) were recorded. Results: The maximum number of subjects having fair and poor oral hygiene was found in CLAP groups (42.9% and 7.1%). The mean DMFT was high in CLAP subjects (2.93 ± 2.94) compared to CL (2.73 ± 2.52) and CP subjects (2.58 ± 2.65). The mean deft was high in CP subjects (1.04 ± 2.22) compared to CL (0.28 ± 0.89) and CLAP subjects (0.26 ± 0.76). Conclusion: Oral hygiene status of CLAP patients was found to be fair, and they had moderate risk of dental caries.

Keywords

• cleft lip
• cleft patients
• dental caries
• oral hygiene