Prevalence of Maxillary Dental Anomalies and Related Factors in Children with Cleft Lip and Palate in Sari

Background: Individuals with cleft lip and palate (CLP) experience a number of dental anomalies, which affect the patient’s facial anatomy and self- esteem. Dental complications are considered as a contributing factor in cleft formation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of various kinds of maxillary dental anomalies in a group of children with CLP in the city of Sari, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed to evaluate the panoramic radiographs of 84 patients (7-19 years old) with CLP, who attended private and public dental and/or orthodontic clinics in Sari during 2020- 2021. The participants were selected by census method. The frequency of maxillary dental anomalies including hypodontia, microdontia and macrodontia, ectopic eruption, rotation and supernumerary tooth were examined by orthodoncy and radiology experts. Standard Pearson chi-squared tests were used for all dental anomalies. Data were analyzed using SPSS software through the Mann-Whitney and chi-squared tests. Results: At least one maxillary dental anomaly was reported in 83.3% of patients with CLP. The unilateral CLP (61.9%) was the most common type of cleft. Tooth agenesis was observed in 63.09% of subjects with more frequencies on the left side (35.7%) followed by rotation (35.71%), microdontia (34.5%), supernumerary teeth (11.9%), and macrodontia (5.9%). No difference was observed in the prevalence of these anomalies between genders. Conclusion: According to our results the most prevalent cleft type was unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) with left side predominance. Hypodontia, rotation, and microdontia were the most prevalent developmental dental anomalies among children with CLP in Sari.