Research Group called distortions and mouth, teeth, and cleft lip

Oro -dental deformities are very common abnormalities in the Middle -East especially in Saudi Arabia, where these deformities have not received adequate preventive and therapeutic attention . They cover a wide range of genetic and environmental deformities that affect the oral cavity, teeth and jaws . These include :

Neglecting such deformities leaves serious health and psychological consequences among the affected individuals . In addition, mismanagement may increase the negative impact on the people . In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, these deformities are neglected to the extent that there are no existing base line data about their prevalence, nor specialized centres for treating the severe forms such as cleft lip and palate patients :
 

1.  Syndromes of the face and jaws, which is divided into :
   Example of the Berrobin syndrome which spread significantly, particularly in the western region .
   1 . Cleft lip and palate, which is called structural malformations are more common among people, especially in the Arab world . Resulting from these defects malconnection of two pieces in the middle of the face and inside the mouth during the formative of fetal period, cleft lip may occur on both sides of the upper lip, also it may be with a cleft palate combined with cleft lip or cleft palate alone .
   2 . Class II and class III skeletal deformities of the jaw bone are very common .
   3 . Dental abnormalities such as dental crowding and deformation of its forms .
   4 . Distortions tongue and salivary glands, which include SJOGREN'S SYNDROME .

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The main reason for most of these defects is not known but there are many studies which confirm that there are factors and pathogens play a key role in the deformities, a combination of genetic and environmental . Global statistics vary on the percentage of proliferation in these statistics indicate that among the seven hundred births in the world a child is born with cleft lip and\or palate . Furthermore these ratios between the peoples and of the highest percentage in the East Asian peoples, while they recorded the lowest proportion of the African race . Unfortunately in Saudi Arabia do not have any accurate statistics indicate prevalence of these defects, only a simple local study on cleft lip indicates a high rate up to 2 . 9 % in a thousand births in the central region . However, preliminary statistics indicate that there are a large number of people living with deformities in the western region and these statistics include a large number of residents in the kingdom .

The cure for these defects requires continuous treatment for up to ten years or more, by a team of doctors in different specialities such as :
1 . Orthodontics
2 . Specialty of genetics and heredity
3 . Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
4 . Paediatrics
5 . Cosmetic and plastic Surgery
6 . Phonetics Specialist
7 . Psychologist
8 . And various other specialities, as the case require ...

It is indeed regrettable that such deformities, and in spite of the remarkable popularity has not received the required attention in Saudi Arabia, where there are no specialized centres for the treatment or study of the people by these defects and to determine the basic statistics and the main reasons behind it and to identify methods of treatment required .