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. 2010 Jul;14(3):168-72.
doi: 10.4103/0972-124X.75911.

Comparison of periodontal status among patients with cleft lip, cleft palate, and cleft lip along with a cleft in palate and alveolus

Vinita Boloor  1 , Biju Thomas
Affiliations

Comparison of periodontal status among patients with cleft lip, cleft palate, and cleft lip along with a cleft in palate and alveolus

Vinita Boloor et al. J Indian Soc Periodontol. 2010 Jul.

Abstract

Background and objectives: A healthy periodontium is an important prerequisite for unhindered dentition and long-term oral health. In cleft subjects, especially in those with cleft lip, alveolus and palate (CLAP), maintenance of oral hygiene is a difficult task for the patients because of the patent oro-nasal communication. Crowding of teeth in cleft patients is a common finding, especially in those with CLAP and those with cleft palate (CP). In the case of multiple tooth-malpositions, transverse deficiency, arch length deficiency and primary cross-bite; periodontal trauma increases and is detrimental to periodontal health. According to literature, a critical periodontal situation was found in patients with CLAP. Hence a study was conducted to analyze the periodontal status of patients with cleft lip (CL); those with cleft palate; and those with cleft lip, alveolus and palate.

Materials and methods: The present study consisted of 60 cleft subjects divided into 3 groups: those with cleft lip; those with cleft palate; and those with cleft lip, alveolus and palate. Subjects with permanent dentition were selected, and the clinical examination included determination of oral hygiene status using Oral Hygiene Index - Simplified (OHI-S) index and periodontal status using community periodontal index (CPI).

Results: Statistically significant increase in the periodontal disease in the CLAP group as compared with the other 2 groups, and the oral hygiene was seen to be generally poor with the CLAP group.

Interpretation and conclusion: Individuals with clefts are more prone to periodontal disease due to the presence of cleft, which causes retention of food in the defect sites and inability to maintain good oral hygiene; but the severity of periodontal disease is more if the defect is large and involving the lip, alveolus and palate.

Keywords: Alveolus and palate; cleft lip; cleft palate; periodontal disease.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Cleft lip, alveolus and palate subject (front view)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cleft lip, alveolus and palate subject (palatal view)
Figure 3
Figure 3
Cleft lip, alveolus and palate subject (lateral view)
Figure 4
Figure 4
Cleft lip, alveolus and palate subject (mandibular anterior view)
Figure 5
Figure 5
Clinical examination in the maxillary incisor region using the CPI probe
Figure 6
Figure 6
Posterior sextants CPI score distribution among the three groups
Figure 7
Figure 7
Anterior sextant CPI scores among the three cleft groups
Figure 8
Figure 8
Comparison of the means of OHI-S scores among the three cleft group subjects
Figure 9
Figure 9
Comparison of the three cleft groups according to the grades of OHI-S
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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