A new reliable method for alveolar bone grafting at about 6 years of age.

When the timing of alveolar bone grafting is based on the eruptive progress of the permanent maxillary canine tooth, the surgical procedure is, by definition, delayed until the late mixed dentition phase. This treatment strategy overlooks both the crown length and the periodontal condition of the maxillary permanent incisors adjacent to the cleft defect. One should perform alveolar bone grafting at the time of eruption of the maxillary central incisor at about 5.5 to 6 years of age.