Risk factors for teeth aplasia and hypoplasia in cleft lip and palate children

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess the significance of environmental risk factors for teeth aplasia and hypoplasia in cleft lip and palate children. Two hundred and forty-seven cleft lip and palate (CLP) children were enrolled in the study including 105 (42.5%) with bilateral CLP and 57.5% with unilateral CLP. The mean age was 11.2±4.9 years. Teeth condition was assessed clinically and radiologically. The impact of risk factors for teeth anomalies was analyzed by retrospective data obtained from computer database (absence of preoperative orthopedic treatment, palatal defects after primary palatoplasty and type of primary procedures). Surgical trauma by early periosteoplasty (at the age of 3-4 months), excessive scarring and tissue traction due to absence of early orthopedic treatment and palatal defect were associated with significantly higher incidence of incisors hypoplasia (both developmental enamel defects and microdentia) and aplasia of central incisors not seen in the other study subgroups. Incisors aplasia and hypoplasia in CLP patients do not always have disembryogenic origin but may depend on external environmental factors, including surgical trauma.