Isolated soft tissue cleft lip: epidemiology and associated dental anomalies.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this investigation was to study the epidemiology of the isolated soft tissue cleft lip (ICL) population and to evaluate the dental anomalies associated with permanent dentition.

METHODS

The study included 19 children aged 9-13 years presenting ICL selected from 657 cleft lip-affected patients treated during the last 10 years in two craniofacial centers. Only 17 patients could be included for dental anomaly evaluation: Hyperdontia, Hypodontia, Gemination, Talon tooth, Microdontia, and Macrodontia. These were compared with cleft lip and palate (CLP) and cleft lip and alveolus (CLA)-affected populations and with normal populations.

RESULTS

The prevalence of ICL was 2.8%. All types of tooth abnormalities were found to be higher and mainly significant for the cleft side of ICL compared with the normal population. On the side opposite the cleft, the prevalence of dental anomalies reduced toward the normal individuals and was not significantly different. The significant differences found between CLP, CLA, and ICL-affected populations were mostly depicted by lateral incisors and second pre-molar hypodontia.

CONCLUSIONS

Isolated cleft lip is a rare phenomenon among the spectrum of the cleft-affected population. The prevalence of the dental anomalies in ICL maintains the proportional trend according to clefting severity.