IADR Abstract Archives

Dental Development of Cleft Lip and Palate Children in Singapore

Introduction: Cleft lip and palate (CLP) is the most common craniofacial abnormality and the fourth most common birth defect in Singapore. Many reports suggest that CLP children are commonly associated with delayed dental development and asymmetrical rate of tooth formation.

Objectives: To compare the 1)dental development and 2)rate of permanent tooth formation in children with and without CLP in Singapore.

Methods: 45 unilateral CLP children of ages 5-9 years old and a non-CLP control group matched for age, gender and race were investigated. Dental records and radiographs were studied. The patient's dental age and formation stage of every individual permanent tooth were determined using the Demirjian's method (1973).

Results: The mean chronological age for CLP and non-CLP children was 6.5 ± 0.9 years. The mean dental age for CLP and non-CLP children was 6.9 ± 0.8 years and 7.5 ± 0.9 years respectively. Thus, the dental development in CLP group was delayed by a mean of 0.6 ± 0.7 year compared to the control group and this delay was found to be statistically significant (p<0.0001). No significant gender difference (p>0.05) in dental development was found in both the CLP and control groups.

Of 596 pairs of teeth in the CLP group, 133 pairs (22.3%) developed asymmetrically. This was significantly (p<0.0001) more than the findings of 36 asymmetrically developing tooth pairs found in 621 tooth pairs (5.8%) of the control group.

Conclusion: CLP children demonstrated delayed dental development and higher occurrence of asymmetrical tooth-pair formation than non-CLP children in Singapore.


Southeast Asian Division Meeting
2010 Southeast Asian Division Meeting (Taipei, Taiwan)
Taipei, Taiwan
2010
36
Scientific Program
  • Tan, Li Yen Elaine  ( National Dental Centre and National University of Singapore, Singapore, N/A, Singapore )
  • Yow, Mimi  ( National Dental Centre, Singapore, N/A, Singapore )
  • Kuek, Meau Charm  ( National Dental Centre, Singapore, N/A, Singapore )
  • Wong, Hung Chew  ( National University of Singapore, Singapore, N/A, Singapore )
  • Foong, Weng Chiong Kelvin  ( National University of Singapore, Singapore, N/A, Singapore )
    • Poster Session
    Research Poster II
    09/20/2010