Congenitally Missing Teeth in the Israeli Cleft Population

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence of congenitally missing teeth in a group of Israeli children with various types of clefts. Prevalence of congenitally missing teeth was determined for 179 children with cleft lip, cleft lip and alveolar ridge, cleft lip and palate, and cleft palate. Subgroupings were assessed according to patient sex, origin, cleft type, tooth type, and the side of hypodontia. The diagnosis of congenitally missing teeth (CMT) was based on initial and follow-up panoramic roentgenograms. In case of doubt, occlusal or periapical roentgenograms as well as clinical dental photographs were also used. Data collection was conducted at the Rambam Medical Center, Orthodontic and Craniofacial Unit, Haifa, Israel. In the total cleft group, 67.6% of the patients presented with hypodontia, totaling 246 missing teeth. A statistically significant difference was found in the distribution of patients with CMT of Jewish and minority origin according to sex. Cleft lip and palate was the most frequently affected group in which 195 teeth were missing. The most frequently missing tooth among the cleft population was the maxillary incisor. The order of frequency of the other missing teeth was the same as in the normal population. Hypodontia and malformations of permanent teeth were most common on the cleft side. The frequency of CMT in the Israeli cleft population studied was higher than in the intact population. This confirms findings in other populations worldwide.