Evaluation of maxillary canine root and maxillary bone thickness and density in patients with displaced maxillary canines: A cone-beam tomography study.

INTRODUCTION: This study investigated lateral incisor and canine morphology and dimensions, maxillary bone density, and volume in subjects with displaced maxillary canines. METHODS: Cone-beam computed tomography images for 134 palatally displaced canines (PDCs), 57 buccally displaced canines (BDCs), and 87 nondisplaced canines (NDCs) were analyzed. Canine and lateral incisor dimensions, alveolar bone dimensions, and maxillary bone volume and density were measured. RESULTS: The root length of BDCs was short compared with NDC and PDC groups. The lateral incisor was short in the PDC group compared with NDC and BDC groups. In the BDC group, maxillary bone volume was reduced compared with NDCs and PDCs. Significant differences were detected between BDC and PDC groups in bone density buccal to canines and between BDC and NDC groups in bone density distal to canines. The density of maxillary bone was the highest in the PDC group and the lowest in the BDC group compared with the NDC group. Eight variables were associated with the site of maxillary canine displacement: lateral incisor tip, alveolar bone density, alveolar bone width, bone density buccal to canine, canine width labiopalatally, maxillary bone volume, and canine midsagittal width. CONCLUSIONS: In PDCs, the maxillary lateral incisor was short, the canine root had a larger crown/root ratio, and maxillary bone volume was increased compared with NDCs. In BDCs, the canine root was shorter than NDCs and PDCs, maxillary bone volume was reduced compared with NDCs, and bone density at the buccal side was reduced compared with the PDC group.

Crown-root ratio of permanent teeth in cleft lip and palate patients.

OBJECTIVES: To determine root lengths of fully developed permanent teeth of cleft lip and palate (CLP) patients and to define their crown-root (C/R) ratios. METHOD: Crown height and root length of permanent teeth were measured from panoramic radiographs of 44 CLP patients and 37 controls. A total of 1397 teeth were measured, and C/R ratios were calculated. RESULTS: Higher C/R ratios were found in CLP patients; this was statistically significant for both maxillary and mandibular incisors and canines. Bilateral CLP subjects showed higher C/R ratios in general than unilateral CLP subjects. Roots of maxillary incisors, canines, and some other teeth were significantly shorter in CLP patients than in controls. CONCLUSIONS: CLP patients should be considered to have unfavorable C/R ratios, which could be the result of short root lengths for some teeth.

Prevalence of dental anomalies in a population of cleft lip and palate patients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to investigate radiographically the prevalence of dental anomalies in a group of Jordanian cleft lip and/or palate subjects. DESIGN: This is a retrospective review of panoramic radiographs of 78 subjects with cleft lip and/or palate that were evaluated from their file records and investigated for possible dental anomalies. RESULTS: Dental anomalies were found frequently in cleft lip and/or palate subjects. Missing teeth were found in 66.7% of the patients; the tooth most commonly missing was the maxillary lateral incisor. Supernumerary teeth were found in 16.7% of patients; 37% had microdontia; 70.5% had taurodontism; 30.8% had transposition and/or ectopic teeth; 19.2% had dilacerations; and 30.8% had hypoplastic teeth. There was no statistically significant difference in the above anomalies' prevalence between males and females. However, it was found that subjects with bilateral cleft lip and/or palate had significantly more microdontia (p = .005), dilaceration (p = .002), and hypoplastic teeth (p = .0001) than subjects with unilateral cleft lip and/or palate. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of dental anomalies in cleft lip and/or palate patients was higher than what had been reported in the normal Jordanian population. This emphasizes the relation of cleft lip and/or palate to all dental anomalies studied. Although our study represents a thorough and complete description of dental anomalies present in a sample of cleft lip and/or palate subjects, larger samples are required to effectively determine the relationship of each dental anomaly with cleft type.