Alternative donor site for alveolar bone grafting in adults with cleft lip and palate

Grafting of the alveolar ridge with autogenous bone is an integral stage of contemporary management of complete cleft lip and palate cases. Alveolar bone grafting restores continuity of the dental arch, closes oronasal fistulae, supports the alar base, and facilitates spontaneous eruption of permanent teeth adjacent to the cleft. However, timing of the graft and the selection of materials have been topics of much debate in the literature. This article discusses an alternative donor site in cases where rehabilitation has passed the recommended time. Harvesting bone from the third molar regions allows not only the removal of impacted third molars during the same surgical procedure, but also eliminates the morbidity associated with additional surgical sites such as the ilium or mandibular symphysis. This report should not be interpreted as a recommendation for the use of this alternative site in cases where grafting is carried out within the optimal time period, which is usually in the mixed dentition stage. However, when grafting is necessary in young adults suffering from complete cleft lip and palate, the third molar region may provide another acceptable donor site.