Abstract

REYNA-GUTIERREZ, Julio; ALIAGA DEL CASTILLO, Arón; MARENGO-CASTILLO, Héctor  and  ALVARADO-MENACHO, Sergio. Transversal dimensions in patients with sequels of bilateral cleft lip palate. Odontol. Clín.-Cient. (Online) [online]. 2011, vol.10, n.2, pp. 157-161. ISSN 1677-3888.

The patients with bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) present alterations in the morphology and development of the maxilla. The alteration in the development of the maxilla involves transversal anomalies at the dental arch and skeletal base, leading to functional and esthetic problems. The aim of this study was to determinate the upper dental arch dimensions (intercanine and intermolar) and the transversal skeletal dimensions (maxillary and facial) in patients with sequels of BCLP and compare their characteristics with those from a control group. The records (dental casts and posteroanterior x-rays) were from 37 BCLP patients and 40 non-cleft patients (control group). Dental arch transversal dimensions (intercanine and intermolar) and skeletal transversal dimensions were measured on dental casts (digitalized by photographs) and posteroanterior x-rays (using Ricketts analysis), respectively. Sexual dimorphism was not found in any group that had been studied (p > 0.05). The patients with sequels of BCLP in the age group from 6 - 9 years old showed intercanine, intermolar and maxillary transversal dimensions signifi- cantly smaller than the control group (p < 0.05), the age group from 10 - 12 years showed intercanine transversal dimension significantly smaller than the control group (p < 0.001) and the age group from 13 - 15 years showed intercanine transversal dimension significantly smaller than the control group (p < 0.05). It was concluded that BCLP alters the dental and skeletal transversal dimensions, and in a greater extend at the intercanine transversal dimension

Keywords : Cleft Palate; Dental Arch; Cleft Lip Maxilla.