Evaluation of occlusal and alveolar characteristics of 5-year-old patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate treated with or without infant orthopedics

Objective: Aim of this study was to investigate the effects of infant orthopedics on dental arch dimensions in 5-year-old patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (CUCLP) and to compare the results with those of healthy children. Method: 52 non-syndromic patients with cleft lip and palate were included in the study group. These patients were also subdivided into three groups: 21 patients with CUCLP treated with infant orthopedics [IO(+)], 14 patients with CUCLP had no infant orthopedics [IO(-)], 17 patients with incomplete UCLP and isolated cleft together. A total of 104 maxillary and mandibular dental casts taken from these patients at 4-7 years of age were used for evaluation. Measurements were recorded using a digital caliper. Dental arch relationships were evaluated according to the three different scoring methods. Results: Maxillary and mandibular arch widths, anterior and posterior palatal depths, lesser segment inclination, greater segment protrusion angle and arch perimeters were not statistically different between IO(+) and IO(-) groups (p>0.05). Maxillary anterior and total arch lengths, cleft width and depth, greater segment inclination were significantly higher in the IO(-) group compared to the IO(+) group (p<0.05). It was showed that among UCLP patients treated with infant orthopedics those who did not have gingivoperiosteoplasty (GPP) had more anterior palatal depth and cleft depth than those who had GPP (p<0.05). Conclusion: The infant orthopedics contributed to the reduction of the cleft width effectively, while did not make any difference in terms of maxillary transversal arch dimensions at the age of 5. Key words: Infant orthopedics, gingivoperiosteoplasty, maxillary arch dimensions