The frequency of dental anomalies in subjects with cleft lip and palate

Objectives . The purpose of this study was to investigate dental abnormalities in children with cleft lip and palate (CLP) in order to identify the most prevalent anomalies and the teeth most frequently affected. Materials and methods . We analyzed orthopanoramics X-rays (OPT), computed tomography Dental Scans, clinical records, and dental casts from 18 consecutive patients (10 boys, 8 girls; mean age 11.2 years, range: 6 to 18), with CLP (complete or incomplete, mono- or bilateral) and recorded the presence of the following anomalies: supernumerary teeth, agenesis, shape and size anomalies, ectopic and dystopic eruptions, rotations and retained teeth. Results . The most frequent abnormalities were: agenesis (prevalence: 22.5%), ectopic and dystopic eruption (19.3%), rotations (17.7%), shape and size anomalies (16.1%), and retained teeth (14.5%). The most frequently affected teeth were the lateral (45.1%) and central incisors (32.2%), the cuspids (14.5%), and the second bicuspid (6.4%). Lateral incisors were usually missing (39.2%) or retained (21.4%), while central incisors were more often rotated (50%) or deformed (25%). The cuspids were ectopic (66.6%) or retained (23%), while the bicuspids were missing (25%), retained (25%), or presented alterations in number (25%) or shape/size (25%).