postero-anterior cephalometric study of dentofacial structures of patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate

ABSTRACT

The study of post-natal facial changes is one of the most important avenues of research in the craniofacial growth and development of cleft patients. The dentofacial structures of 60 surgically treated patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate UCLP, 30 males, and 30 females have been studied by means of postereo-anterior cephalometric analysis from the age of three to eight years. Comparison of the dento-facial width dimensions of the cleft patients were made with a matched sample of 60 non cleft controls having normal occlusion and pleasing facial ethetics. Eight linear ratios were incorporated for studing dimensional relationships of various skeletal breadths, and two angular measurements were used for evaluating incisor mid-point deviation. Comparison of the variables of the cleft group was made with the normal dimensions for the corresponding age. The results indicated that, UCLP group presented characteristic and significant difference from the normal group in the dimensions of the nasal width, the skeletal base of the maxilla, the maxillary intermolar width, the deviation of the maxillary central incisor midpoint, and the intergonial width of the mandible during all ages. The results of this study can help the orthodontists to make an adequate diagnosis and to carry out a treatment planning to produce more pleasing ethetics results for the UCLP patients