title: Oral health status of children with craniofacial anomalies.
abstract: As a key component of the craniofacial team in caring for children with craniofacial anomalies, pediatric dentists play a vital role in the treatment and prevention of dental disease. The purpose of this paper was to review the current literature on the oral health status of individuals with craniofacial anomalies, concentrating on children with cleft lip and/or palate (CLP). CLP children are at high risk for developing caries and periodontal disease, have poor oral hygiene, and often have unmet dental needs. Recommendations for pediatric dentists caring for children with craniofacial anomalies include providing parent education, dietary counseling, oral hygiene instructions for the parent and child and implementing other preventive measures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tenn., USA. mwells18@uthsc.edu
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wells
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000150:complications*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000150:complications*; D019140:Dental Care for Children / Q000379:methods*; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D009909:Oral Health / Q000193:education; D010377:Pediatric Dentistry; D011313:Preventive Dentistry / Q000379:methods*