Caries and Oral Hygiene Status among a Group of Saudi Cleft Lip and Palate Children

The objective of the present study was to determine caries prevalence and oral hygiene status among a group of Saudi cleft lip and palate (CLP) children. A total of 84 cleft children (45 males and 39 females) were examined for dental caries and oral hygiene status. The children were divided into two age groups; Group A with children age one to six years and Group B with children age seven to 14 years. All the children in both age Groups had dental caries. The mean dmft (decayed, missing and filled primary teeth) score in Group A children was 10.54 (SD 4.59). In Group B children, the combined mean dmft/DMFT (decayed, missing and filled primary and permanent teeth) score was 10.92 (SD 4.90) respectively. There was no statistically significant (p>.05) difference observed between the mean dmft/ DMFT scores in relation to age and gender of the cleft children. More than half (54.7%) of the children had poor oral hygiene. In conclusion; the caries prevalence and severity was high in the studied cleft children. Majority of the children had poor oral hygiene.