Pulp test response of the maxillary anterior teeth in cleft palate patients.

The relative pulpal responsiveness of the six maxillary incisors to electrical and cold thermal stimuli was tested in patients with complete unilateral and bilateral clefts. The six maxillary anterior teeth were tested at random to electrical stimuli. After a 5-minute interval, the same teeth were tested at random to cold stimuli with an ice pencil. Unilateral and bilateral cleft palate patients had statistically significant higher mean electrical pulp test thresholds for the maxillary anterior teeth than the noncleft palate patients. No statistically significant difference between unilateral and bilateral cleft palate patients was found in electric pulp test responses of the maxillary anterior teeth. No statistically differences in electric pulp test responses and cold test responses of the maxillary anterior teeth in both cleft palate and noncleft palate individuals based on differences in sex were observed. No statistically significant difference in cold test responses were observed between cleft palate and noncleft palate patients. Cleft palate patients who completed orthodontic treatment within 1 year of testing showed elevated mean electrical pulp test thresholds as did noncleft palate patients who received orthodontic treatment within 1 year of testing.