Dento-skeletal characteristics of cleft patients with missing teeth

Area of Science:

• Craniofacial anomalies
• Dental and skeletal morphology
• Cleft lip and palate research

Background:

• Unilateral complete cleft lip and palate (UCCLP) is a common congenital condition affecting facial development.
• Dental anomalies, including tooth agenesis, frequently occur in UCCLP patients.
• The impact of missing teeth on the craniofacial skeletal and dental characteristics of UCCLP individuals requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare cephalometric skeletal and dental characteristics between UCCLP subjects with and without missing teeth.
• To determine if the number of missing teeth influences craniofacial morphology in UCCLP patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 96 non-syndromic UCCLP patient records.
• Cephalometric analysis of lateral radiographs to assess 25 linear and angular skeletal and dental measurements.
• Comparison of UCCLP subjects grouped by the number of missing teeth (none, one, or two or more).

Main Results:

• Overjet was significantly reduced in UCCLP subjects with multiple missing teeth compared to those with no or only one missing tooth (P=0.015).
• No statistically significant differences were found in the skeletal characteristics among the groups.
• Dental variables, particularly overjet, were influenced by the presence of missing teeth.

Conclusions:

• Tooth agenesis in UCCLP primarily affects dental outcomes, specifically overjet, rather than skeletal morphology.
• Reduced overjet is a notable dental characteristic in UCCLP patients with multiple missing teeth.
• Further research with larger cohorts is recommended to validate these findings and explore other potential dental and skeletal associations.