Aim To conduct a systematic review and to evaluate the clinical parameters for periodontal diseases in individuals with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P). Design The authors searched six indexed databases without any linguistic limitation through July 2021. The eligibility criteria were observational studies that compared the periodontal clinical measures of individuals with CL/P to those without CL/P. A meta‐analysis was conducted using random‐effects models with inverse variance weighting. Results The literature search generated 1277 records, and 40 full‐text articles were reviewed. Twenty‐three studies comprising 3235 individuals from four continents fulfilled our selection criteria. The meta‐analysis revealed a significant difference in mean plaque index scores (MD = 0.31, 95% CI = 0.22, 0.41), gingival index scores (MD = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.24, 0.77), and periodontal pocket depth (MD = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.12, 1.16) between individuals with and without CL/P. A slight increase in clinical attachment loss was detected among individuals with CL/P; however, such an increase may have little clinical significance. Conclusions As age is positively related to periodontal disease progression, and individuals with CL/P are more likely to present with more plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation, clinicians should reinforce preventive dental care from an early age.

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