PREVALENCE OF STILLMAN’S CLEFTS AMONG ALBANIAN YOUNG ADULTS

B. Zeza¹ , A. Pilloni² , E. Qorri³

¹ Albanian University, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Periodontology, Tirana, Albania
² Sapienza University of Rome, Department of Periodontology, Rome, Italy
³ Dental School, Albanian University, Tirana, Albania

Correspondence to:

Annals of Stomatology 2024 September-December; 4(3): Ahead of Print
https://doi.org/10.69129/stomatol/2024v4iss3_4

Received: 24 September 2024 Accepted: 26 October 2024

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Abstract

Stillman’s clefts are among the least studied mucogingival defects that might compromise the esthetic and periodontal health of the affected teeth. The aim of the present study is to collect data on the prevalence of this defect among young adults in Albania. Participants were dental school students recruited for oral examination and detection of Stillman’s clefts, with the use of discoloring solution for shallow initial clefts. One single operator performed the examination. All participants filled out a questionnaire to gather information on oral hygiene and local traumatic factors associated with Stillman’s cleft. One hundred thirty dental students (77 females and 53 males) with an average age of 22.5 (21-28) ± 1.5 years participated in the survey. Stillman’s clefts were identified as 9.2% of them. A higher association was observed with the use of a medium toothbrush. No similar association was observed with the traumatic use of interdental floss. None of the participants with the defect presented symptoms. Overall, a prevalence of 9.2% was observed among young adults, with a slight tendency to be associated with medium toothbrush use.

Keywords: oral hygiene, prevalence, Stillman’s cleft