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Challenges for dental care of the paediatric patient born with cleft lip and/or palate

British Dental Journal volume 234, pages 867–871 (2023)Cite this article

Abstract

This paper forms part of a series on the management of patients with cleft lip and/or palate (CLP). Children with CLP have a higher incidence of dental caries and dental anomalies. This paper explains the important roles of both the general dental practitioner and specialist paediatric dentist on the cleft team in managing these children alongside the multidisciplinary team.

Key points

  • Children with cleft lip and/or palate have an increased incidence of dental caries and dental anomalies.

  • Local general dental practitioner care is important for enhanced prevention from an early age.

  • Paediatric dental specialists are included in the cleft multidisciplinary team and will see children at key stages of dental development.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. North West North Wales Cleft Network, Alder Hey Children´s Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom

    Joanna May

  2. CleftNetEast, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, United Kingdom

    Jacqueline Smallridge

  3. South West South Wales Cleft Network, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom

    Mechelle Collard

  4. Evelina London Cleft Service, London, United Kingdom

    Mina Vaidyanathan & Nabina Bhujel

Authors
  1. Joanna May
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  2. Jacqueline Smallridge
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  3. Mechelle Collard
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  4. Mina Vaidyanathan
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  5. Nabina Bhujel
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Contributions

Joanna May, Jacqueline Smallridge, Mechelle Collard, Mina Vaidyanathan and Nabina Bhujel each wrote a section of the paper including results of research or service evaluations they have completed locally. These were collated, edited and summarised by Joanna May into the final paper.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joanna May.

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The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Written consent to publish has been obtained for Figure 4.

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May, J., Smallridge, J., Collard, M. et al. Challenges for dental care of the paediatric patient born with cleft lip and/or palate. Br Dent J 234, 867–871 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-023-5995-2

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