Dental Anomalies in Children with Orofacial Cleft in Dominican Patients

Objectives: Disturbances during embryonic development in patients presenting orofacial clefts result in soft and hard tissue deformities of the oral cavity, including dental abnormalities. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical prevalence of dental malformations based on variations on size, shape, structure, position and number of affected teeth in children from 6 to 12 years of age with lip and/or cleft palate attending “Ninos que Rien” Foundation in Moca, Dominican Republic in 2017.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional, descriptive study. In a population (n=115) with non-syndromic cleft lip and/or palate, we obtained a sample (n=27). We examined gender, age, cleft classification, and presence of dental malformations. A clinical exam was conducted on all participants in addition to a panoramic radiograph, intra and extra oral pictures. Univariate analysis was conducted with the Pearson chi-square test of association to compare variables of interest.
Results: Orofacial clefts and dental malformations were more common in males. The peak age range where clefts were more frequently seen was between 8 and 10 years of age. Combined cleft lip and palate on the left side was the most frequent observation (25.90%). Among dental malformations we found from most to least prevalent malocclusion and diastema (40.74%), dental agenesis (14.81%), peg teeth and transposition (7.41%), and supernumerary teeth (3.70%). These alterations in position, number, size and shape are located on the cleft affected quadrant.
Conclusions: We found prevalence of dental malformations and cleft lip and palate, these data should be considered during the multidisciplinary care of affected patients to guarantee adequate resolution of their healthcare needs.