Individuals with cleft lip and palate present significantly more dental anomalies, even outside the cleft area, than do individuals without clefts. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of tooth agenesis and patterns of hypodontia in a large sample of patients with complete bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP). Serial panoramic radiographs (the first radiograph was taken at 10.5-13.5 yr of age) of 240 patients with BCLP (172 male patients, 68 female patients) were examined. Third molars were not included in the evaluation. Agenesis of at least one tooth was present in 59.8% of patients. Upper laterals and upper and lower second premolars were missing most frequently. Using the tooth agenesis code (TAC), 52 different agenesis patterns were identified, of which simultaneous agenesis of 12, 22, 15, 25, 35, and 45 was the most frequent pattern. Nine of the 240 patients showed combined BCLP and oligodontia.
Objective
To compare and evaluate longitudinally the dental arch relationships from 4.5 to 13.5 years of age with the Bauru-BCLP Yardstick in a large sample of patients with bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP).
Design
Retrospective longitudinal intercenter outcome study.
Patients
Dental casts of 204 consecutive patients with complete BCLP were evaluated at 6,9, and 12 years of age. All models were identified only by random identification numbers.
Setting
Three cleft palate centers with different treatment protocols.
Main Outcome Measures
Dental arch relationships were categorized with the Bauru-BCLP yardstick. Increments for each interval (from 6 to 9 years, 6 to 12 years, and 9 to 12 years) were analyzed by logistic and linear regression models.
Results
There were no significant differences in outcome measures between the centers at age 12 or at age 9. At age 6, center B showed significantly better results (p = .027), but this difference diminished as the yardstick score for this group increased over time (linear regression analysis), the difference with the reference category (center C, boys) for the intervals 6 to 12 and 9 to 12 years being 10.4% (p = .041) and 12.9% (p = .009), respectively.
Conclusions
Despite different treatment protocols, dental arch relationships in the three centers were comparable in final scores at age 9 and 12 years. Delaying hard palate closure and employing infant orthopedics did not appear to be advantageous in the long run. Premaxillary osteotomy employed in center B appeared to be associated with less favorable development of the dental arch relationship between 9 and 12 years.
Summary
Background
Children born with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) are reported to display several dental anomalies including agenesis, supernumeraries, as well as variations in dental size, shape, and path of eruption. The extensive sample of individuals with UCLP included in the Scandcleft randomized control trials offers the opportunity to study more rare conditions, which is seldom possible with limited samples.
Objectives
The aim was to study dental anomalies at 8 years of age in children born with UCLP included in the Scandcleft randomized control trials.
Methods
Panoramic and intraoral radiographs from 425 individuals (279 males and 146 females) with a mean age of 8.1 years were assessed by four orthodontists regarding dental anomalies.
Results
Agenesis was found in 52.5 per cent and supernumerary teeth in 16.9 per cent of the participants. The cleft lateral was missing in 43.8 per cent and was found peg shaped in 44.7 per cent. The distribution of ectopic eruption was 14.6 per cent, mainly affecting maxillary first molars, while transposition was found in 3.4 per cent of the individuals. In addition, infraocclusion of one or several primary molars was registered in 7.2 per cent of the participants.
Conclusion
We conclude that 8-year-old children born with UCLP display multiple dental anomalies. The Scandcleft sample allowed rarely studied conditions such as infraocclusion of primary molars and transposition to be studied in children born with UCLP.
Trial registration
ISRCTN29932826.
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