What do systematic reviews say?

Cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) vs Healthy controls without cleft

Bleeding index is significantly higher in persons with orofacial cleft than in healthy controls (p<0.0001), but no pooled effect size was reported (ungraded).

• Oral health in patients with cleft lip and palate: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of periodontal and… 2025 All outcomes

  Clinical dental examination; various countries (e.g., Brazil, India, China, Thailand, USA)
  the bleeding index (BI) showed significantly higher values for subjects with cleft lip and/or palate (BI p < 0.0001)
  Studies not reported
  GRADE not reported

Unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) vs Bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP)

Plaque index does not differ significantly between unilateral and bilateral cleft lip and palate (MD -0.13, 95% CI -0.38 to 0.12; ungraded).

• Oral health in patients with cleft lip and palate: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of periodontal and… 2025 All outcomes

  Clinical dental examination (Thailand and USA)
  MD -0.13 [-0.38, 0.12]
  2 studies · 117 participants
  GRADE not reported

Cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) vs Healthy controls without cleft

Persons with orofacial cleft have a greater probing pocket depth than healthy controls (MD 0.88, 95% CI 0.82 to 0.95; low certainty).

• Oral health in patients with cleft lip and palate: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of periodontal and… 2025 All outcomes

  Clinical dental examination; various countries (e.g., Brazil, India, China, Thailand, USA)
  MD 0.88 [0.82, 0.95]
  3 studies · 340 participants
  Low

Cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) vs Healthy controls without cleft

Persons with orofacial cleft have a higher plaque index than healthy controls (MD 0.29, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.34; low certainty).

• Oral health in patients with cleft lip and palate: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of periodontal and… 2025 All outcomes

  Clinical dental examination; various countries (e.g., Brazil, India, China, Thailand, USA)
  MD 0.29 [0.24, 0.34]
  6 studies · 1618 participants
  Low

Intervention not reported

• Characterization of the oral microbiota and the relationship of the oral microbiota with the dental and periodontal… 2024 All outcomes

  Narrative: Campylobacter/Fusobacterium/F. nucleatum/Prevotella intermedia-nigrescens/Parvimonas micra/Porphyromonas gingivalis in CLP
  no estimate extracted
  6 studies
  GRADE not reported

Cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) vs No cleft lip and/or palate (non-CL/P)

No significant difference in Lactobacillus spp. presence was reported; GRADE was not reported.

• Characterization of the oral microbiota and the relationship of the oral microbiota with the dental and periodontal… 2024 All outcomes
  MD 1.40 [1.33, 1.47]
  2 studies · 152 participants
  GRADE not reported

Intervention not reported

• Characterization of the oral microbiota and the relationship of the oral microbiota with the dental and periodontal… 2024 All outcomes

  Narrative synthesis: significantly higher in CLP vs controls (Ahluwalia, Lucas, Hassani, Cheng, Sundell)
  no estimate extracted
  5 studies
  GRADE not reported

Cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) vs No cleft lip and/or palate (non-CL/P)

No difference in mean Streptococcus mutans presence was reported; GRADE was not reported.

• Characterization of the oral microbiota and the relationship of the oral microbiota with the dental and periodontal… 2024 All outcomes
  SMD 1.78 [1.36, 2.19]
  2 studies · 175 participants
  GRADE not reported