Comparison of oral hygiene and periodontal status in patients with clefts of palate and patients with unilateral cleft lip, palate and alveolus

Aim: This study was conducted to analyze and compare the oral hygiene and periodontal status in patients with clefts of palate (CP) and patients with unilateral cleft lip, palate and alveolus (UCLPA). Materials and Methods: The study group consisted of 120 cleft patients. Subjects were divided into two groups of 60 each. Group I - patients with UCLPA and Group II - patients with CP. For comparison, all the four quadrants were defined, Q1-right upper quadrant, Q2-left upper quadrant, Q3-left lower quadrant and Q4-right lower quadrant, in both groups and the following parameters were recorded: Plaque Index (PI, Silness and Loe), Sulcus Bleeding Index (SBI, Muhlemann and Son), Probing Pocket Depth (PPD), Clinical Attachment Level (CAL), Mobility Index (Miller) and Radiographic Amount of Bone Loss. Results: The periodontal destruction was seen to be higher in UCLPA patients compared with CP patients. The poor oral hygiene status, as indicated by higher values of PI, and the periodontal status, evaluated by SBI, PPD, CAL, mobility and Radiographic Amount of Bone Loss, were higher in patients with UCLPA than in patients with CP. Conclusion: In this study, patients with cleft lip, palate and alveolus had poor oral hygiene and periodontal status compared with patients with cleft palate.