Deciduous tooth dimensions in cleft lip and palate.

The deciduous teeth of 40 subjects with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (CUCLP) and 42 noncleft controls were measured. The mesiodistal and faciolingual dimensions of several maxillary teeth in the vicinity of the cleft were smaller than their corresponding antimeres. No such differences were apparent in the mandibular arch. In the control sample there were no differences in either maxillary or mandibular arches. The CUCLP group generally demonstrated significantly smaller dimensions for both mesiodistal and faciolingual dimensions for both maxillary and mandibular arches when compared to the control group. These findings lend possible support to the hypothesis that tissue deficiency may be a factor in cleft lip and palate development.