title: Predisposing factors to dental caries in children with cleft lip and palate: a review and strategies for early prevention.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review predisposing factors contributing to dental caries in patients with cleft lip, cleft palate, or both (CL/P).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with CL/P have a higher susceptibility to caries compared with the population group without clefts. A review of the literature was undertaken to determine factors that could account for the compromised oral hygiene and the high caries prevalence in patients with CL/P.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After a literature review, modern strategies for the prevention of early childhood caries were developed and should be considered for integration into the overall management protocol of patients with CL/P.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preventive dental care is ever more so important in patients with CL/P compared with patients without clefts.
authors.affiliation: University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Lam L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Stephen L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Moor
authors.forename: Christopher T C
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Ho
mesh_terms: D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000150:complications*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000150:complications*; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003733:Dental Caries Susceptibility; D006801:Humans; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D012307:Risk Factors