Aesthetic analysis of an implant-supported denture at the cleft area

Objective : To evaluate the aesthetics of an implant-supported denture at the cleft area, comparing the peri-implant tissues and prosthetic crown with the contralateral tooth. Settings : Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies, Bauru, São Paolo, Brazil. Patients : A total of 39 individuals of both genders, with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate, who received secondary alveolar bone graft and were rehabilitated with single implant-supported dentures at the area of the missing maxillary lateral incisor after completion of orthodontic treatment. Interventions : The following parameters were analyzed in follow-up sessions: length and width of prosthetic crown and contralateral tooth, characteristics of implants, filling of interproximal space by the papilla, and smile height of the patients. Results : The implant-supported prosthetic crowns were longer than the contralateral tooth (p < .001). Among the 78 papillae analyzed, 29 (37.17%) received a score of 3; 32 (41.02%) papillae had a score of 2; and 17 (21.79%) received a score of 1. Concerning the smile height, among the 39 patients analyzed, 23 (56.41%) had a medium smile, 15 (38.46%) had a high smile, and two (5.12%) presented a low smile. Conclusion : The use of dental implants to rehabilitate the edentulous cleft area is an excellent option. However, adequate evaluation of the bone quantity and quality, positioning and shape of adjacent teeth, smile height, and patient expectations should be considered to achieve success and avoid aesthetic deformities such as elongated teeth and absence of gingival papillae.