Caries experience in individuals with cleft lip and/or palate in China.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the levels of dental caries in subjects with cleft lip and/or palate in China in comparison with controls.


METHODS
A total of 380 subjects with cleft lip and/or palate and 339 non cleft control subjects were examined for dental caries using the decayed-missing-filled-teeth (DMFT/dmft) and decayed-missing-filled-surfaces (DMFS/dmfs) index. A questionnaire was used to acquire subjects' living habits and family socioeconomic status.


METHODS
West China Stomatology Hospital, Sichuan University.


METHODS
Individuals between 3 and 25 years of age.


RESULTS
Caries prevalence and scores for dmft/DMFT and dmfs/DMFS were significantly higher in subjects with cleft palates when compared with the non cleft control group (p < .05), except 3- to 5-year-old children (p > .05). However, in the 3- to 5-year-old group, children with cleft lip and/or palate had significantly more caries than children of the same age with only a cleft lip with or without alveolus (p < .05). Children whose clefts had been surgically repaired had a lower dmft and dmfs than those whose clefts had not been surgically repaired (p < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
Individuals with oral cleft are at an increased risk for dental caries. The types of cleft and the surgical repair are two important factors for dental caries.
Zhu
Wan Chun
WC
Key Laboratory for Oral Biomedical Engineering, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China.
Xiao
Jin
J
Liu
Yuan
Y
Wu
Jun
J
Li
Ji Yao
JY
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000150:complications*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000150:complications*; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult