RESUMEN
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To examine the effect of pre-surgical orthodontics on the outcome of the secondary alveolar bone grafting in the patients with complete cleft lip and palate.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixteen complete cleft lip and palate patients (9 males and 7 females) with collapsed upper arch or severe mal-positioned upper incisors were selected. The cleft was not easily grafted because of the poor access. The total cleft sites were 22 (10 patients with UCLP and 6 patients with BCLP). The age range of the patients was from 8 to 22 years. Pre-surgical orthodontic treatment was mainly to expand the collapsed upper arch and correct the mal-positioned upper incisors. After the secondary alveolar bone grafting, the patients were followed up and anterior occlusal radiograph/intraoral panograph were taken regularly. The observation period was from 6 months to 4 years. Bergland criteria were used to evaluate the interdental septal height.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Upper arch expansion and the correction of the mal-positioned upper incisors done by the orthodontic treatment made the bone grafting procedure easier. The clinically successful rate reached 86%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The severe upper arch collapse and mal-positioned upper incisors in the patients with complete cleft lip and palate should be corrected orthodontically before the secondary alveolar bone grafting.</p>