Early secondary bone grafting in children with alveolar cleft does not modify the risk of maxillary permanent canine impaction at the age of 10 years.

OBJECTIVE: The risk of maxillary permanent canine retention is elevated in children with cleft lip and palate (CLP). This study compared this risk in 10 ± 1 year-old patients with unilateral CLP (UCLP) who underwent or not early maxillary bone grafting at the age of 6 ± 1 years. METHODS: Retrospective, controlled monocentric and observational study with the following inclusion criteria: patients with UCLP, isolated cleft, pre-surgery orthodontic maxillary expansion, same surgical protocol, same surgical team. The risk of maxillary canine retention was evaluated using a dental panoramic radiograph, on the basis of the canine root development stage and of the angle (> or <45°) between the main axis of the maxillary canine and a virtual reference axis parallel to the medial sagittal axis. RESULTS: The impaction risk at the age of 10 was of 14.29% (4/28) for the group who underwent early bone grafting and 21.88% (7/32) for the group without early grafting (p = 0.45). Permanent lateral incisor agenesis and the patient's sex did not change this risk. CONCLUSIONS: Early alveolar bone grafting does not significantly change the risk of permanent maxillary canine retention at 10. Long-term followup of a larger population is needed to confirm this result.