{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,8]],"date-time":"2026-10-08T04:50:53Z","timestamp":1791435053461,"version":"4.3.3"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,6]],"date-time":"2025-02-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1738800000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Oral health is a prerequisite for the rehabilitation of children with oral cleft (OC). Thus, caries negatively affects individuals with OC. This study aimed to investigate dental caries in children with OC, determining the first period of the most significant susceptibility to caries. This cross-sectional study evaluated caries\u2019 prevalence and mean dmft in the primary dentition of 300 children with OC, distributed among ten groups at six-month intervals. The exams were carried out using the WHO diagnostic criteria. Fisher\u2019s exact test and Student\u2019s t-test were used for statistical comparisons with a significant level of 5%. The caries prevalence in the total group was 59.4%, and the dmft was 3.4. The first period of susceptibility occurred between 13 and 18 months and 19 and 24 months, with a prevalence ranging from 6.6% to 40% (p &lt; 0.05) and a dmft ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 (p &lt; 0.05). The prevalence and dmft increase with age. Our findings suggest that in children with OC, the first period of susceptibility to caries occurs from 13 to 18 months. These findings demonstrate the need for pediatric dentistry to establish an early preventive protocol for children with clefts during the first year.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph22020227","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,6]],"date-time":"2025-02-06T04:47:31Z","timestamp":1738817251000},"page":"227","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["An Evaluation of Dental Caries Status in Children with Oral Clefts: A Cross-Sectional Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"22","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4137-0334","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lucimara Teixeira das","family":"Neves","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biological Sciences, Bauru School of Dentistry and Post-Graduation Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies, University of S\u00e3o Paulo (HRAC\/USP), Bauru 17012-900, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7917-3072","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Beatriz","family":"Costa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies, University of S\u00e3o Paulo (HRAC\/USP), Bauru 17012-900, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jos\u00e9 Roberto Pereira","family":"Lauris","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Orthodontics and Public Health, Bauru Dental School, University of S\u00e3o Paulo, Bauru 17012-900, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ana L\u00eddia","family":"Ciamponi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric Dentistry, S\u00e3o Paulo Dental School, University of S\u00e3o Paulo, S\u00e3o Paulo 05508-220, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marcia Ribeiro","family":"Gomide","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies, University of S\u00e3o Paulo (HRAC\/USP), Bauru 17012-900, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1400","DOI":"10.1111\/odi.14183","article-title":"Caries in children with and without orofacial clefting: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"28","author":"Grewcock","year":"2022","journal-title":"Oral Dis."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1089","DOI":"10.1177\/0022034513507452","article-title":"Micronutrients and oral clefts: A case-control study","volume":"92","author":"McKinney","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Dent. Res."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wu, Q., Li, Z., Zhang, Y., Peng, X., and Zhou, X. (2023). Dental caries and periodontitis risk factors in cleft lip and palate patients. Front. Pediatr., 10.","DOI":"10.3389\/fped.2022.1092809"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1351","DOI":"10.1111\/odi.14226","article-title":"Dental anomalies in non-syndromic orofacial clefts: A clinical approach","volume":"28","author":"Cobourne","year":"2022","journal-title":"Oral Dis."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"349","DOI":"10.1177\/1055665618776428","article-title":"Microbial profile and dental caries in cleft lip and palate babies between 0 and 3 years old","volume":"56","author":"Durhan","year":"2018","journal-title":"Cleft Palate-Craniofacial J."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"953","DOI":"10.1038\/s41415-023-5993-4","article-title":"Global perspectives in orofacial cleft management and research","volume":"234","author":"Mossey","year":"2023","journal-title":"Br. Dent. J."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.1590\/S1678-77572012000100003","article-title":"Rehabilitative treatment of cleft lip and palate: Experience of the Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies\/USP (HRAC\/USP)-Part 1: Overall aspects","volume":"20","author":"Freitas","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Appl. Oral Sci."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17030","DOI":"10.1038\/nrdp.2017.30","article-title":"Dental caries","volume":"25","author":"Pitts","year":"2017","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. Dis. Primers"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"366","DOI":"10.1111\/cdoe.12161","article-title":"Factors associated with early childhood caries incidence among high caries-risk children","volume":"43","author":"Ghazal","year":"2015","journal-title":"Community Dent. Oral Epidemiol."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"800","DOI":"10.1177\/10556656211025189","article-title":"Systematic Review of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Oral Health in Children with Cleft Lip and Palate","volume":"59","author":"Saikia","year":"2022","journal-title":"Cleft Palate-Craniofacial J."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"448","DOI":"10.1597\/11-133","article-title":"Caries experience of chinese children with cleft lip and palate","volume":"50","author":"King","year":"2013","journal-title":"Cleft Palate-Craniofacial J."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S261","DOI":"10.5005\/jp-journals-10005-2169","article-title":"Dental Caries Experience among Children and Adolescents with Cleft Lip and\/or Palate: An Umbrella Review","volume":"15","author":"Abirami","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. J. Clin. Pediatr. Dent."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"406","DOI":"10.1159\/000349911","article-title":"Caries prevalence in non-syndromic patients with cleft lip and\/or palate: A meta-analysis","volume":"47","author":"Antonarakis","year":"2013","journal-title":"Caries Res."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"37","DOI":"10.1038\/sj.bdj.2017.581","article-title":"Are people with an orofacial cleft at a higher risk of dental caries? A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"223","author":"Worth","year":"2017","journal-title":"Br. Dent. J."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"447","DOI":"10.1597\/1545-1569_2000_037_0447_dhiaca_2.0.co_2","article-title":"Dental health indices and caries associated microflora in children with unilateral cleft lip and palate","volume":"37","author":"Lucas","year":"2000","journal-title":"Cleft Palate-Craniofacial J."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1106","DOI":"10.1177\/0022034517709961","article-title":"Dental Decay Phenotype in nonsyndromic Orofacial Clefting","volume":"96","author":"Howe","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Dent. Res."},{"key":"ref_17","first-page":"127","article-title":"Caries experience in individuals with cleft lip and palate","volume":"34","author":"Tannure","year":"2012","journal-title":"Pediatr. Dent."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"329","DOI":"10.1597\/1545-1569_1998_035_0329_oadhso_2.3.co_2","article-title":"Oral and dental health status of children with cleft lip and\/or palate","volume":"35","author":"Paul","year":"1998","journal-title":"Cleft Palate-Craniofacial J."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"525","DOI":"10.1597\/1545-1569_2001_038_0525_tohocw_2.0.co_2","article-title":"The oral health of children with clefts of the lip palate, or both","volume":"38","author":"Chapple","year":"2001","journal-title":"Cleft Palate-Craniofacial J."},{"key":"ref_20","first-page":"233","article-title":"Caries gingivitis, and dental abnormalities in preschool children with cleft lip and\/or palate","volume":"26","author":"Dahllof","year":"1989","journal-title":"Cleft Palate J."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"90","DOI":"10.3109\/00016357.2015.1044562","article-title":"Caries prevalence and enamel defects in 5- and 10-year-old children with cleft lip and\/or palate: A case-control study","volume":"74","author":"Sundell","year":"2016","journal-title":"Acta Odontol. Scand."},{"key":"ref_22","first-page":"397","article-title":"Dental Caries Experience in Texan Children with Cleft Lip and Palate","volume":"39","author":"Sunderji","year":"2017","journal-title":"Pediatr. Dent."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"167","DOI":"10.1159\/000529620","article-title":"Primary Dentition Caries Patterns as Predictors of Permanent Dentition Caries: A Prospective Cohort Study","volume":"57","author":"Feldens","year":"2023","journal-title":"Caries Res."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.1038\/s41368-022-00186-0","article-title":"Expert consensus on early childhood caries management","volume":"14","author":"Zou","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. J. Oral Sci."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"762","DOI":"10.1177\/0022034517696457","article-title":"Longitudinal study of caries development from childhood to adolescence","volume":"96","author":"Whitehead","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Dent. Res."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.4103\/njcp.njcp_249_19","article-title":"Pattern of malocclusion and caries experience in unrepaired cleft lip and palate patients in Enugu","volume":"23","author":"Okoye","year":"2020","journal-title":"Niger. J. Clin. Pract."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"266","DOI":"10.4103\/1947-2714.134371","article-title":"Oral health in 4-6 years children with cleft lip\/palate: A case control study","volume":"6","author":"Chopra","year":"2014","journal-title":"N. Am. J. Med. Sci."},{"key":"ref_28","unstructured":"World Health Organization (1997). Oral Health Surveys\u2014Basic Methods, World Health Organization. [4th ed.]."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"522","DOI":"10.1597\/1545-1569_1999_036_0522_cpabfp_2.3.co_2","article-title":"Caries prevalence and bottle-feeding practices in 2-year-old children with cleft lip, cleft palate, or both in Taiwan","volume":"36","author":"Lin","year":"1999","journal-title":"Cleft Palate-Craniofacial J."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Alotaibi, R.N., Howe, B.J., Moreno Uribe, L.M., Ramirez, C.V., Restrepo, C., Deleyiannis, F.W.B., Padilla, C., Orioli, I.M., Bux\u00f3, C.J., and Hecht, J.T. (2021). Multivariate GWAS of Structural Dental Anomalies and Dental Caries in a Multi-Ethnic Cohort. Front. Dent. Med., 2.","DOI":"10.3389\/fdmed.2021.771116"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"308","DOI":"10.1597\/12-106","article-title":"Dental caries in the primary dentition of german children with cleft lip, alveolus, and palate","volume":"51","author":"Kirchberg","year":"2014","journal-title":"Cleft Palate-Craniofacial J."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"236","DOI":"10.1007\/BF03262754","article-title":"Dental caries prevalence in children with cleft lip\/palate aged between 6 months and 6 years in the West of Scotland","volume":"11","author":"Britton","year":"2010","journal-title":"Eur. Arch. Paediatr. Dent."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8","DOI":"10.1159\/000262366","article-title":"Incidence of dental caries in the primary dentition in children with a cleft lip and\/or palate","volume":"31","author":"Bokhout","year":"1997","journal-title":"Caries Res."},{"key":"ref_34","first-page":"104","article-title":"Dental caries of primary incisors in children with cleft lip and palate","volume":"21","author":"Johnsen","year":"1984","journal-title":"Cleft Palate J."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1150","DOI":"10.1177\/1055665620980206","article-title":"Factors Affecting High Caries Risk in Children With and Without Cleft Lip and\/or Palate: A Cross-Sectional Study","volume":"58","author":"Chaudhari","year":"2021","journal-title":"Cleft Palate-Craniofacial J."},{"key":"ref_36","first-page":"95","article-title":"Risk factors for early childhood caries: A systematic review and meta-analysis of case control and cohort studies","volume":"41","author":"Kirthiga","year":"2019","journal-title":"Pediatr. Dent."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"424","DOI":"10.1597\/1545-1569_1996_033_0424_posmal_2.3.co_2","article-title":"Prevalence of Streptococcus mutans and lactobacilli in 18-month-old children with cleft lip and\/or palate","volume":"33","author":"Bokhout","year":"1996","journal-title":"Cleft Palate-Craniofacial J."},{"key":"ref_38","first-page":"97","article-title":"Risk Factors associated with Early Childhood Caries","volume":"20","author":"Sun","year":"2017","journal-title":"Chin. J. Dent. Res."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"130","DOI":"10.1111\/idh.12385","article-title":"Are there any solutions for improving the cleft area hygiene in patients with cleft lip and palate? A systematic review","volume":"17","author":"Rodrigues","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. J. Dent. Hyg."}],"container-title":["International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/22\/2\/227\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]],"date-time":"2025-10-09T16:27:50Z","timestamp":1760027270000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/22\/2\/227"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,6]]},"references-count":39,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,2]]}},"alternative-id":["ijerph22020227"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ijerph22020227","relation":{},"ISSN":["1660-4601"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1660-4601","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,6]]}}}