Dentofacial relationships in persons with unoperated clefts: comparisons between three cleft types

A total of thirty persons with unoperated unilateral cleft lip and alveolus, unilateral cleft lip and palate, and bilateral cleft lip and palate were evaluated. The ages of these persons ranged from 7 to 50 years. Fifty parameters were measured on the cephalograms and the dental casts. Descriptive statistics for these parameters were calculated. The analysis of variance (general linear models procedure) was performed to compare the three cleft groups. Among the significant differences between the cleft groups was an increased steepness of the mandibular plane in persons with palatal clefts. In addition, the persons with bilateral cleft lip and palate had a significant reduction in maxillary intercanine width. A description of the different dentofacial relationships of the different cleft types was also presented. From the findings of the present and previous investigations, it could be surmised that there are differences in the dentofacial relationships of persons with different cleft types. These differences need to be recognized, since they can influence both our understanding of the effects of the surgical repair of the lip and/or palate and the orthodontic management of these cases. The present findings in this relatively limited group of persons indicates that there is still a need to examine in detail a larger number of persons with untreated clefts of the lip and/or palate and to compare them with surgically treated persons from the same population if possible.