Prevalance of dental caries among cleft lip and palate children

The present study was undertaken to assess the prevalence of dental caries and oral hygiene practices in children with cleft lip and/or palate in the age group of 3-10 years, and compared with non-cleft controls.The study was conducted on 105 children with cleft lip and/or palate in the age group of 3 to 10 years, who have undergone surgical treatment from the nearest SMILE TRAIN cleft lip and/or palate care centers, and were matched with 120 children without cleft lip and/or palate in the age group of 3 to 10 years, selected from the general population and schools from the respective places, so as to match the study group with respect to certain pertinent variables like age, sex and geographic distribution. Cases and controls were stratified based upon the age into 2 groups 3-5 years and 6-10 years. An informed consent of the hospital authorities and the child's parents were obtained prior to the examination. A modified WHO oral health assessment form (1997) was used Each tooth is examined in a systematic sequence, using a mouth mirror and explorer by seating the child in a dental chair.