INCREASED CARIES PREVALENCE IN 2.5-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN WITH CLEFT-LIP AND OR PALATE/

The prevalence of dental caries was determined clinically in 2.5-year- old Dutch cleft lip and/or palate children (n=76) and in children with out congenital malformation (n=75). The parents were given a structure d questionnaire regarding the child's dietary habits. oral hygiene. fl uoride exposure and social economic background. The prevalence of dent al caries was higher in children with oral cleft than in children with out oral cleft. initial caries (white spots) was diagnosed in 17.1% of the subjects with oral cleft compared with 4.0% of the control subjec ts. Manifest caries (cavities) was found in 26.3% of the children with oral cleft compared with 5.3% of the controls, The dft score (manifes t caries) was significantly higher for the oral cleft group (0.59+/-1. 35) than for the control group (0.11+/-0.54). 52% of the total number of initial and manifest lesions were localized to the maxillary inciso rs. A multivariate analysis yielded initial caries, oral hygiene and t reatment with preoperative infant orthopaedics as the variables signif icantly associated with manifest caries.