PREVALENCE AND PATTERN OF TOOTH AGENESIS AMONG PATIENTS WITH ISOLATED CLEFT LIP AND PALATE IN THE TAWANCHAI CLEFT CENTER

Abstract

The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of tooth agenesis in a group of patients with isolated cleft lip and palate (CLP). Secondly, we aimed to investigate the relationship of maxillary lateral incisor missing with laterality and cleft type in non-syndromic cleft lip and palate patients. 194 patients with non-syndromic isolated CLP who had been treated at Tawanchai cleft center, Khon Kaen University, Thailand from 2012 to 2022, were enrolled in this study. Medical records, dental records, and radiographic examination (either orthopantomogram (OPG) or cone beam computed tomography CBCT) were evaluated to diagnose tooth agenesis. Prevalence and frequency of tooth agenesis, average number of missing teeth per patient, maxillary lateral incisor agenesis occurrence and location were analyzed by cleft type. 77.32% of the patients experienced with missing teeth. Bilateral CLP (BCLP) patients had a higher number of missing teeth (88.14%), and unilateral left CLP patients (ULCLP) (73.63%) had a higher one compared to unilateral right CLP patients (URCLP) (70.45%). Distribution of maxillary lateral incisor agenesis tended to be higher missing at the left side (45.9%) than right side (18.8%) and both sides (35.3%). In this study, more than three quarters of patients diagnosed with non-syndromic cleft lip and palate exhibited tooth agenesis. The maxillary lateral incisor emerged as the tooth most affected, with a notable tendency for agenesis on the left side, regardless of the specific type of cleft.