Investigation of the endodontic needs and planning in patients with cleft lip and/or palate submitted to surgical treatment

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the demand of endodontic treatment in patients with cleft lip and/or palate to assess the association between the type of cleft and endodontic disturbances, quantifying the causes that led to the need of endodontic treatment. Methods: In this retrospective study, 671 records of patients aged 7 to 65 years assisted at theEndodontics Sector of Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies, University of S o Paulo (HRAC/USP), were analyzed, adding up to 1,377 teeth submitted to endodontic treatment. Datawere collected from the records, entered in a computer data sheet and submitted to statistical analysis. Results: Most patients assisted were of male gender and from Southeast Brazil. Themost common type of cleft was complete cleft lip and palate. The endodontic treatment most frequently provided was non-vital pulp therapy, mainly because of dental caries and for prostheticpurposes. Conclusions: The need of endodontic treatment is directly related to the high caries incidence in these patients, which is independent of the type of cleft.