Periodontal conditions in adult patients with cleft lip, alveolus, and palate.

The present study assessed the progression rate of periodontal disease over 8 years in a group of 52 adult patients with various forms of cleft lip, alveolus, and palate considered at risk for progression of periodontal disease. Of special interest was the evaluation of periodontal disease progression at sites adjacent to cleft regions compared to changes found at control sites not directly affected by such defects. High incidences of generalized plaque accumulation and bleeding on probing were noted at both examinations in 1979 and 1987. A mean apical shift of the clinical attachment level amounting to 0.2 mm had occurred over the 8-year observation period. A slight apical displacement of the mesial and distal mean crestal alveolar bone was also noted. The rate of progression of periodontal disease over the 8 years was not found to be different at statistically significant levels at cleft sites compared to control sites. However, the results of this study documented that the cumulative periodontal destruction at 26 to 28 years of age was statistically significant and more pronounced at cleft sites as revealed by greater probing pocket depth and loss of clinical attachment. The differences between test and control sites amounted to 0.3 and 0.4 mm respectively for probing depth and 0.6 mm for loss of clinical attachment. In addition, the discrepancy between alveolar bone height and the levels of the clinical attachment at cleft sites demonstrated the presence of a long supracrestal connective tissue attachment adjacent to cleft defects. Therefore, the alveolar bone height as visualized in radiographs at such sites was considered an unreliable diagnostic tool for the assessment of the degree of periodontal destruction.