Hypodontia in patients with isolated cleft palate, its relationship to etiopathogenesis

The authors studied the incidence of hypodontia in 200 patients with isolated cleft palate. These patients were divided into 3 groups according to the degree of malformation (complete cleft palate, incomplete cleft palate, soft palate cleft). In the 3 groups, hypodontia was studied on permanent teeth, with the exception of the 3rd molars. Compared with the healthy population, hypodontia in patients with cleft palate appeared at a significantly higher rate (25.5%). No difference was found between boys and girls. Hypodontia in the mandible appeared in 18%, in the maxilla in 10%. The upper jaw showed maximum incidence in complete cleft palate (21%), while in the mandible hypodontia was observed most frequently in soft palate clefts (37% patients). In most cases the dental germs of the 2nd lower premolar failed to develop. Our results correlate with hypotheses based on experimental studies on the etiopathogenesis of facial clefts.