Dental caries of primary incisors in children with cleft lip and palate.

Visual dental examinations were performed on 64 children ages 18 months through 4 years presenting at a Craniofacial Defects Team charged with diagnostic and referral services. Of the 41 children with cleft lip and/or cleft palate, 13 (32%) had dental caries of one or more maxillary primary incisors. One of the remaining 23 children examined experienced caries of the maxillary primary incisors. In incisors of children having clefts of the alveolus, caries tended to correspond to sites of enamel deficiency in caries-free children with alveolar clefts. Caries patterns in children with clefts involving only the palate resembled "nursing carries". Children with clefts are at significant risk for caries of the primary incisors; a dental prevention program is to be emphasized in referring these children for care.