Alveolar Cleft Reconstruction and Orthodontic Management of Patients with Cleft Lip-Palate

Successful reconstruction of the cleft maxilla requires close collaboration amongst a cleft team, including orthodontists and maxillofacial surgeons. The goals of the alveolar bone graft include a uniform maxilla with sufficient volume of bone to support a complete dental arch, normal nasal ala contour, elimination of oronasal fistulae, and preparation of the maxilla for future orthognathic surgery. In the recent decades, bone allografts with the addition of bone morphogenic protein have become a common bone graft material and have yielded outcomes comparable to autografts. Standard definitions of success vary between institutions, and so the literature is inconsistent with outcomes data.