Caries status among Norway's children born with cleft lip and palate at age 6: A nationwide study

Osman Elrayah Mustafa Osman^1*Mohammed A. Yassin¹Ragnar Bjering²Paul Kaare Saele^1,3Ingrid Miranda Thalén Korsnes¹Mari Othilie Bakkemyr Hagbø¹Åse Sivetsen⁴Stein Atle Lie^1,5*

• ¹Center for Translational Oral Research, Department of Clinical Dentistry, Medical Faculty, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
• ²Department of plastic surgery, Section for cleft lip and palate, Rikshospitalet, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
• ³Oral Health Centre of Expertise/Western Norway, Bergen, Norway
• ⁴Department of Plastic Surgery, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
• ⁵The Norwegian National Network for Arthroplasty and Hip Fractures, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway

Background: Orofacial cleft (OFC) is the most common congenital malformation affecting the craniofacial area. A major challenge in managing children with OFC is their increased susceptibility to dental caries. This study aims to explore the association between dental caries and various potential variables, including orofacial cleft (OFC) types, sex and the presence of additional congenital deformities. Methods: This study includes six-year-old children with orofacial cleft registered in the Norwegian registry of cleft lip and palate. Children were classified into two main groups: cleft lip and/or palate (CL±P) - including cleft lip only (CLO) and cleft lip and palate (CLP); and cleft palate only (CPO). Association between dental caries and OFC types, sex as well as additional congenital deformities was done using chi-square tests and logistic regression, reporting p-value and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). This is a provisional file, not the final typeset article Results: Among 551 children with OFC (343 boys and 208 girls), 37% had CLP, 36% had CPO and 27% had CLO. Dental caries experience was found among 99 (18%) children (66 males and 33 females): 39 had CPO, 37 had CLP and 23 had CLO. No association between dental caries and OFC type was found (p=0.627). However, a significant association was found between dental caries and presence of additional congenital deformities (OR=2.10, 95% CI: 1.30–3.39, p=0.002). Conclusion: Boys are more common than girls among children with OFC. Children with OFC and additional congenital deformities are more susceptible to caries, indicating the need for more targeted and individualized preventive oral health strategies.