ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the survival rate of dental implants placed in the cleft area. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies, Brazil. Institutional Tertiary Healthcare Center. PATIENTS: 120 patients who received dental implants in the grafted cleft area in the years 1999 to 2005. INTERVENTIONS: Clinical data were evaluated from the records of 120 patients according to the following criteria: placement grafted, cleft area, and age at surgery; age at placement of dental implants; site and dimension of implants; interval between placement of implants and the last clinical follow-up; and interval between placement and removal or indication for removal of implants. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Percentage of survival rate of implants. RESULTS: Mean age at placement of the bone graft was 17.6 years and 21 years at placement of implants. A total of 123 cleft areas received secondary bone graft and bone graft to install implants (regraft). The mean survival rate was 34 months since placement of the implant to the last clinical follow-up and 26 months since placement of the prosthesis. Seven dental implants were removed. The survival rate since placement to the last clinical follow-up was 94.3%. CONCLUSION: Rehabilitation of the cleft area with dental implants is a viable and secure alternative, with good prognosis.