Periodontal condition in adult patients with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate

The periodontal condition, as expressed by plaque accumulation, gingival bleeding, and pocket depth formation, was registered in relation to maxillary teeth in 50 subjects with systematically treated unilateral complete cleft lip and palate (UCLP). Their treatment had been completed at a mean age of 19.5 years when a fixed partial denture was inserted in the cleft area. The mean interval between completion of the treatment and the present investigation was 9.5 years. Generally, the periodontal condition in relation to abutment and nonabutment teeth seemed to be in accordance with that seen in the general population, implying that the condition was poorer in relation to abutments as compared with nonabutment control teeth. Indirect evidence indicated that this was caused by the adverse effects of prosthodontic treatment rather than by the anatomic deviations created by the repaired cleft.