Maxillary dental arch dimensions following pharyngeal-flap surgery

Pharyngeal-flap surgery (PFS) is a surgical procedure utilized in the treatment of hypernasal speech. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of PFS on the maxillary dental arch. Sixteen patients who had undergone PFS between the ages of 5 and 7 years were selected from the longitudinal growth study of the Lancaster Cleft Palate Clinic. Eight points were marked on the occlusal surfaces of serial maxillary dental models to determine arch width and length. These data were compared to a matched sample of patients from the same growth study who did not undergo PFS. The flap group demonstrated significant reduction in both arch width (at cuspids and molars) and arch length development compared to the control sample, following PFS. These results are not inconsistent with an hypothesis of dental-arch form changes related to possible airway obstruction following PFS, although data on the latter were not available on this sample.