Cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CLP) and cleft palate only (CP) are the most common orofacial deformities observed in humans where almost 1 in 700 to 1 in 2,000 babies born each year are affected worldwide. This condition occurs when the specific and independently derived facial primordial fails to fuse together, hence forming the cleft of the lip and palate or the palate alone. These orofacial abnormalities can be divided into syndromic and non-syndromic where the deformities are either associated with other disorders or present on their own, respectively. It is important to understand every step in the lip and palate development during the embryonic stage to pinpoint the exact problem affecting the normal development of the human face. With current technologies, more genes are identified to be associated with and cause CLP and CP in humans. Therefore, this review aims to elaborate on the latest updates on the genetics of CLP and CP. Polymorphism in some of the genes has been associated with the incidence of these anomalies. Identification of these genes provides new knowledge on how these craniofacial abnormalities occur and hopefully will enable earlier treatment of these deformities to be implemented.

Upon reviewing the literature, the prevalence of many systemic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis were reported to be high in Saudi Arabia. The relationship of these conditions with tooth loss among Saudi population was not investigated. Therefore, the aim of the present studyis to explore the relationship between tooth loss and most common medical conditions among Saudi dental patient. The study participants were 250 patients who were randomly selected from the College of Dentistry database of King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Participants were requested to answer self-administered questionnaires related to their demographic as well as general health questions concerned to the presence of systemic medical conditions. Missing teeth were determined after examining the orthopantogram radiographs and reviewing the Romexis and SALUD databases. Descriptive statistics, independent t-test and linear multiple regression model were performed using SPSS software. The mean number of missing teeth among the study population was 5.8 teeth per person. The mean number of missing teeth was higher among subjects with diabetes, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, or osteoporosis compared to healthy individuals. A multiple linear regression analysis model revealed that diabetes, hypertension and rheumatoid were significant predictors of missing teeth among Saudi population. These results highlight the importance of the effect of medical conditions on oral health.

Orofacial clefts, particularly non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) are the most common craniofacial deformities, affecting one in every 700 to 1000 newborns worldwide. Numerous efforts have been made to understand the etiology of CL/P so as to predict its occurrence and to prevent it from occurring in the future. In the recent years, advances in genetics and molecular biology have begun to reveal the basis of craniofacial development. Various genetic approaches, including genome-wide and candidate gene association studies as well as linkage analysis, have been undertaken to identify aetiologic factors, but results have often been inconclusive or contradictory. These results may support the presence of aetiologic heterogeneity among populations and the presence of multiple genes involved in the aetiology of CL/P. Despite these difficulties, several different genes have been implicated in harbouring genes that contribute to the aetiology of CL/P. In conclusion, the genetic basis of CL/P is still controversial because of genetic complexity of clefting.
Chloride Ion ; upper case pea ; Genetic ; Cleft Lip ; Palate