Evaluation of primary dentition in cleft lip and palate children with and without natal/neonatal teeth.

OBJECTIVE

Natal/neonatal teeth are very common in children with complete unilateral and bilateral cleft lip and palate. The extraction of these teeth is the usual treatment in the Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies. The objective of this study was to verify whether these teeth could be of the normal complement or whether they were supernumerary.

DESIGN

The primary dentition of children with cleft lip and palate with and without natal/neonatal teeth was compared at the Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies.

SUBJECTS: The sample consisted of 55 children with complete unilateral and bilateral cleft lip and palate with natal/neonatal teeth and 54 without.

RESULTS

No positive association between these groups and missing lateral incisor or supernumerary or complete dentition was found.

CONCLUSION

The extraction of the natal/neonatal teeth did not alter the final complement of primary teeth, and these teeth could be the lateral incisor or supernumerary.