OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of the presence of a soft tissue bridge (Simonart's band) in patients with complete cleft lip and alveolus and complete cleft lip and palate.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional.

SAMPLE

We assessed 407 consecutive unoperated patients first attending the Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies of University of São Paulo, in Bauru, São Paulo, Brazil, in the year 2000. The patients were classified as presenting complete cleft of the primary palate or of the primary and secondary palate, unilateral or bilateral, as follows: unilateral cleft lip, bilateral cleft lip, unilateral cleft lip and palate, and bilateral cleft lip and palate.

METHOD

Clinical examination. The band was considered as present whenever there was a soft tissue bridge between the separated alveolar ridges, regardless of volume and position. Results were analyzed by descriptive statistics and were expressed as percentages, according to the type of cleft.

CONCLUSION

31.2% of patients presented with Simonart's band. The band was observed more frequently in patients with unilateral clefts than in patients with bilateral clefts, and in patients with complete cleft lip and alveolus than in patients with complete cleft lip and palate.