Alteration of maxillary and mandibular growth of adult patients with unoperated isolated cleft palate.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of cleft palate itself on the growth of maxilla and mandible.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Fifty-two adult female patients with unoperated isolated cleft palate and 52 adult female individuals with normal occlusion were included in our study. Computer software was used for lateral cephalometry measurement. Manual measurement was performed for dental cast measurements, and sample t test analysis was applied to analyze the differences between the 2 groups using SPSS 17.0.

RESULTS

The sella-nasion-subspinale point angle, subspinale-nasion-supramentale point angle, and maxillary arch length of the cleft group were significantly smaller than those of the control group (P < 0.01). Both maxillary and mandibular posterior dental arch widths of the cleft group were significantly larger compared with the control group (P < 0.01), whereas the sella-nasion-supramentale point angle, mandible arch length, palate height, and palate shelf inclination did not differ between the 2 groups. The measurements did not differ between the submucosal cleft and the overt cleft patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Cleft palate itself has adverse effects on the maxilla growth with shorter maxillary arch length and wider posterior dental arch width.