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Maxillary Arch Dimensions in Children with Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate Receiving Alveolar Bone Grafting
Dewi M E van Stein Callenfels1, Annemieke Bos1, Ronald E G Jonkman1
1Department of Orthodontics, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Objective:
To analyse the maxillary arch dimensions of children aged 9 and 12 with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) who received orthodontic treatment and secondary alveolar bone grafting.
Design:
This retrospective cohort study was performed on 30 patients with UCLP.
Setting:
All patients were treated at the Cleft Lip and Palate Centre, which is part of the University Medical Centre Amsterdam and Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Patients/Participants:
Children with non-syndromic UCLP who received pre- and postsurgical orthodontics combined with secondary alveolar bone grafting between the ages of 9 and 12 years were included.
Main Outcome Measures:
Maxillary arch dimensions were assessed on 60 digitised dental casts with measurements of the intermolar widths, interpremolar widths, arch perimeters, arch lengths, arch widths, and palatal depths.
Results:
The results of a paired-samples t-test revealed a statistically significant increase (P < .05) in intermolar width 1, intermolar width 3, interpremolar width 1, arch perimeter, and arch width between the ages of 9 (T0) and 12 (T1). Intermolar width 2 and the palatal depth decreased statistically significantly between T0 and T1.
Conclusions:
Analysis of maxillary arch dimensions of children with UCLP indicates significant changes between 9 and 12 years of age. This suggests that orthodontic treatment and secondary alveolar bone grafting can be effective in improving maxillary arch dimensions. However, there is a need for collaborative research and data collection in order to provide sensible and evidence-based care to patients with cleft lip and palate.
