Both dental agenesis and maxillary growth restriction are well-recognized sequelae in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate, but their etiology remains controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between hypodontia and maxillary volume. A retrospective review of patients age 6 to 9 with Veau III (unilateral) cleft palate who underwent Cone Beam Computer Tomography in preparation for alveolar bone grafting at 2 major Children's Hospitals between 2010 and 2016 was conducted and serial panoramic radiographs were reviewed. Thirty-eight patients were identified that met inclusion criteria and had adequate imaging. Group 1 (''poor growers'') consisted of the bottom 50% of Sella-Nasion-A point minus Sella-Nasion-B point (ANB) angles and Group 2 (''good growers'') consisted of the top 50% of ANB angles. Group 1 had a significantly higher mean number of missing teeth (1.58 AE 0.28 missing teeth) compared to Group 2 (0.74 AE 0.23 missing teeth), and significantly lower maxillary volume (12.88 AE 0.61 cm 3 versus 15.24 AE 0.88 cm 3 , respectively). The severity of maxillary hypoplasia in cleft patients increases with increased dental agenesis. These data indicate that intrinsic factors play a significant role in maxillary growth restriction in cleft patients, independent of the sequelae of surgical intervention.
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