Cleft lip and palate: recommendations for dental anesthetic procedure based on anatomic evidences

Patients with cleft lip and palate usually present dental anomalies of number, shape, structure and position in the cleft area and the general dentist is frequently asked to restore or extract those teeth. Considering that several anatomic variations are expected in teeth adjacent to cleft areas and that knowledge of these variations by general dentists is required for optimal treatment, the objectives of this paper are: 1) to describe changes in the innervation pattern of anterior teeth and soft tissue caused by the presence of a cleft, 2) to describe a local anesthetic procedure in unilateral and bilateral clefts, and 3) to provide recommendations to improve anesthetic procedures in patients with cleft lip and palate. The cases of 2 patients are presented: one with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate, and the other with complete bilateral cleft lip and palate. The patients underwent local anesthesia in the cleft area in order to extract teeth with poor bone support. The modified anesthetic procedure, respecting the altered course of nerves in the cleft maxilla and soft tissue alterations at the cleft site, was accomplished successfully and the tooth extraction was performed with no pain to the patients. General dentists should be aware of the anatomic variations in nerve courses in the cleft area to offer high quality treatment to patients with cleft lip and palate.     

New dental findings in the median cleft facial syndrome

BACKGROUND: The main features of median cleft facial syndrome are hypertelorism, cranium bifidum occultum, widow's peak, and midine clefting of the nose, upper lip and palate. Since this pathology was first described in 1967, many cases have been reported in the literature, but none of these reports has addressed oral anomalies in depth. CASE DESCRIPTION: The authors present the case of a female patient aged 4 years and 7 months who was diagnosed with median cleft facial syndrome. In this case, the patient had an abnormal number of teeth, owing to fusion or agenesis of teeth, supernumerary teeth and ectopic eruption of some teeth. These oral anomalies had not been described before in the literature as being associated with this syndrome. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Median cleft facial syndrome is a rare pathology; however, dentists should know its possible alterations at an oral level, because children with this syndrome need dental treatment to achieve good esthetics and correct occlusion.     

Bone augmentation and autogenous transplantation of premolar to the site of the fissure in a cleft palate patient

This article presents a case report of autogenous tooth transplantation to the site of the fissure, in addition to bone augmentation with graft of autogenous bone harvested from the iliac crest, performed in a cleft palate patient, who had insufficient bone volume. A non‐syndromic 10‐year‐old girl, with a unilateral cleft lip and palate, incisal transforamen fissures, agenesis of the maxillary left central incisor and both maxillary lateral incisors, was treated with autogenous bone graft in the cleft area. The orthodontic treatment plan was to replace the missing lateral incisors with the maxillary canines and to extract the mandibular first premolars. One of the mandibular premolars was extracted from its site with 2/3 of its root formation completed and transplanted to the maxillary left central incisor area. After orthodontic treatment, the anatomic crowns were characterized with composite resin. Autogenous tooth transplantation can be performed in the area of the fissure in young cleft palate patients, by performing bone graft augmentation before transplantation of the tooth, to gain sufficient recipient alveolar bone volume. A multidisciplinary approach is mandatory for the success of this clinical procedure, especially in cleft palate patients.     

Patterns of tooth agenesis in patients with orofacial clefts

Orofacial clefts are a common oral disorder associated with tooth agenesis. As information on the simultaneous absence of teeth can be an aid in treatment planning, a large sample of orofacial cleft patients was examined. The sample consisted of 910 patients with cleft lip and palate. Tooth agenesis was assessed on the basis of at least two panoramic radiographs and patient records. Third‐molar agenesis was determined in 474 patients. Patterns of tooth agenesis were analysed using Tooth Agenesis Code (TAC) values, according to van Wijk & Tan . Per quadrant, at least 90% of patients could be described according to three different patterns. In the maxilla, 85% of patients with tooth agenesis had a TAC‐value of 2, 16, or 18 on either the left side, right side or bilaterally. In the mandible, 90% of patients with tooth agenesis had a TAC‐value of 16, 1 or 2 on either the left side, right side or bilaterally. In patients with tooth agenesis, patterns were symmetrical in the maxilla in 18.8% and in the mandible in 51%. More extended cleft types were associated with a higher prevalence of tooth agenesis. Third‐molar agenesis (prevalence = 22.4%) was significantly related to the prevalence of other absent teeth. These results show which patterns of tooth agenesis can be expected to occur in most orofacial cleft patients.     

Root development of permanent lateral incisor in cleft lip and palate children: a radiographic study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare the root development of lateral incisor on the cleft side with the root development of its contralateral tooth in cleft lip and palate children. SETTING: Cleft lip and palate wing, Meenakshi Ammal Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, South India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A sample of 96 orthopantamograms of patients with unilateral orbilateral cleft lip and/or cleft palate was selected, regardless of sex and race. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Orthopantamograms were analyzed for root development of lateral incisor on the cleft and non cleft side. Associated anomalies like hypodontia, supernumerary teeth, malformed lateral incisors and root development of canine, if present, were recorded. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: Root development of permanent lateral incisor was delayed on the cleft side compared to the non cleft side. There was a statistically significant relationship between levels of root development of lateral incisors on the cleft side within the different study groups(P < 0.05). Incidence of hypodontia increased in proportion to cleft severity. Frequency of missing second premolars, supernumerary teeth and malformed lateral incisors increased in cleft lip and palate patients. Root development of canine showed a slight delay on the cleft side when compared to the canine on the noncleft side.     

La frequenza delle anomalie dentarie nei pazienti affetti da cheilognatopalatoschisi

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to investigate dental abnormalities in children with cleft lip and palate (CLP) in order to identify the most prevalent anomalies and the teeth most frequently affected.

Materials and methods

We analyzed orthopanoramics X-rays (OPT), computed tomography Dental Scans, clinical records, and dental casts from 18 consecutive patients (10 boys, 8 girls; mean age 11.2 years, range: 6 to 18), with CLP (complete or incomplete, mono- or bilateral) and recorded the presence of the following anomalies: supernumerary teeth, agenesis, shape and size anomalies, ectopic and dystopic eruptions, rotations and retained teeth.

Results

The most frequent abnormalities were: agenesis (prevalence: 22.5%), ectopic and dystopic eruption (19.3%), rotations (17.7%), shape and size anomalies (16.1%), and retained teeth (14.5%). The most frequently affected teeth were the lateral (45.1%) and central incisors (32.2%), the cuspids (14.5%), and the second bicuspid (6.4%). Lateral incisors were usually missing (39.2%) or retained (21.4%), while central incisors were more often rotated (50%) or deformed (25%). The cuspids were ectopic (66.6%) or retained (23%), while the bicuspids were missing (25%), retained (25%), or presented alterations in number (25%) or shape/size (25%).

Conclusions

Each subject presented at least one dental anomaly. This high frequency indicates that identification of these anomalies is fundamental for appropriate management of cleft lip and palate.     

Prevalence of abnormalities in dental structure, position, and eruption pattern in a population of unilateral and bilateral cleft lip and palate patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dental characteristics of patients subjected to a protocol that included early secondary gingivoalveoloplasty (ESGAP). DESIGN: Panoramic radiographs of 87 patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) and 29 with bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) were evaluated. Missing and supernumerary teeth were also quantified on the cleft and noncleft side and in the maxilla and mandible. Crown and root malformations and tooth rotations were quantified. A subsample in permanent dentition was extrapolated to analyze canine eruption patterns. RESULTS: A total of 48.8% of the UCLP patients presented with missing permanent lateral incisors in the cleft area and 6.1% contralaterally. A total of 4.9% presented with missing second maxillary premolars on the cleft site and 1.2% contralaterally. A total of 7.3% presented with supernumerary lateral incisors, and 45% of the BCLP cleft sites presented with missing lateral incisors, while 25% of the cleft sites presented second maxillary premolars agenesis. Five percent of the cleft sites presented with supernumerary lateral incisors. Evaluation of the subsample in permanent dentition showed that 15.5% had a canine retention and 4.4% of the canines had to be surgically exposed. A significant association was observed between canine inclination and retention but not with absence of the lateral incisor. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of dental anomalies in this sample was similar to other cleft populations. As surgical trauma has been suggested to damage forming teeth, the results of this study indicated that ESGAP has no detrimental influence on subsequent dental development.     

Dental development of Chinese children with cleft lip and palate.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the dental development and rate of tooth development between children with and without cleft lip and palate. Patients: Age- and gender-matched pairs (231 in all) of southern Chinese children ages 3 to 12 years, with and without cleft lip and palate. METHODS: Dental histories and radiographs were studied. From these, dental development was determined. RESULTS: Of 2946 tooth pairs in the children with cleft lip and palate, 252 (8.6%) were found to be asymmetric, significantly (p < .001) more than the 63 of 3179 (2.0%) tooth pairs observed in the children without cleft lip and palate. The teeth with the highest frequency of asymmetry were the maxillary lateral incisors (38.1%). Differences in dental development on the cleft versus noncleft sides of children with unilateral cleft lip and palate were significant for both maxillary and mandibular teeth (p < .001 and p = .039, respectively). The mean delay in tooth formation of the children with cleft lip and palate was 4.4 months relative to the children without cleft lip and palate. The majority of the teeth in the cleft lip and palate group were delayed by one developmental stage. This happened in 40.0% of the maxillary teeth and 30.1% of the mandibular teeth. The delay in tooth formation increased as the number of missing teeth increased in the children with cleft lip and palate, although not significantly. CONCLUSIONS: This group of southern Chinese children with cleft lip and palate demonstrated a higher prevalence of asymmetric and delayed dental development than did their counterparts who did not have cleft lip and palate.     

Isolated soft tissue cleft lip: epidemiology and associated dental anomalies

Oral Diseases (2011) 17 , 221–231 Objectives: The aim of this investigation was to study the epidemiology of the isolated soft tissue cleft lip (ICL) population and to evaluate the dental anomalies associated with permanent dentition. Methods: The study included 19 children aged 9–13 years presenting ICL selected from 657 cleft lip‐affected patients treated during the last 10 years in two craniofacial centers. Only 17 patients could be included for dental anomaly evaluation: Hyperdontia, Hypodontia, Gemination, Talon tooth, Microdontia, and Macrodontia. These were compared with cleft lip and palate (CLP) and cleft lip and alveolus (CLA)‐affected populations and with normal populations. Results: The prevalence of ICL was 2.8%. All types of tooth abnormalities were found to be higher and mainly significant for the cleft side of ICL compared with the normal population. On the side opposite the cleft, the prevalence of dental anomalies reduced toward the normal individuals and was not significantly different. The significant differences found between CLP, CLA, and ICL‐affected populations were mostly depicted by lateral incisors and second pre‐molar hypodontia. Conclusions: Isolated cleft lip is a rare phenomenon among the spectrum of the cleft‐affected population. The prevalence of the dental anomalies in ICL maintains the proportional trend according to clefting severity.     

Familial occurrence of nonsyndromal multiple supernumerary teeth. A rare condition

The occurrence of multiple supernumerary teeth is a rare phenomenon and is often found in association with syndromes such as cleidocranial dysplasia, Gardners syndrome, or cleft lip and palate. Only a few examples of nonsyndromal multiple supernumerary teeth have been reported in the literature. There is a predilection for the mandible and in the premolar area followed by the molar and anterior regions. This article reports the presence of nonsyndromal multiple supernumerary teeth involving both jaws in children and in their mothers. The clinical and radiographic appearance of the anomalies and treatment modalities are discussed.     

Pattern of clefts and dental anomalies in six-year-old children: a retrospective observational study in western Norway

Objectives: Clefts of the lip and/or palate (CL/P) are the most common congenital disorders of the head and neck. In Norway, the incidence is 1.9/1000 live births. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and distribution of various types of clefts and dental anomalies in patients treated by the cleft lip and palate (CLP) team in Bergen, Norway.

Material and methods: The material comprised the records of patients 6 years of age, examined by the CLP team in Bergen from spring 1993 to autumn 2012, incomplete records were excluded. The records of 989 patients were analysed, using frequencies and Chi-square test to compare differences in percentages between groups.

Results: The gender distribution was 58.8% male and 41.2% female. Isolated cleft palate (CP) was the most common condition (39.5%). Clefts of the lip, jaw and palate (CLP) constituted (30%) of cases and (30.5%) had isolated cleft lip (CL). The frequencies of agenesis, supernumerary and peg-shaped teeth were (36.5%), (17.8%) and (7.5%), respectively. Over 50% of the study population were diagnosed with one or more malocclusion. Of the CLP patients, 61.4% had Angle Class III occlusion. Statistical analysis disclosed a positive association of agenesis with Class III occlusion (OR =1.8, p≤?0.001).

Conclusions: The findings supported the hypothesis that the distribution of dental anomalies and occlusal disorders varied among patients with CL, CP and CLP. In patients with cleft, there is a twofold chance to get Class III malocclusion in the presence of agenesis.     

Tooth agenesis code (TAC) in complete unilateral and bilateral cleft lip and palate patients

The objective of this study is to characterize and compare tooth agenesis codes and their prevalence in a population of Spanish patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) and bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP), and to determine if the extent of the cleft (BCLP or UCLP) was associated with the number of absent teeth. This retrospective cross-sectional human study included 118 patients with complete BCLP (29) or UCLP (89) and permanent dentition from first molar to first molar. Congenitally missing teeth were identified on panoramic radiographs using the tooth agenesis code (TAC) to identify agenesis codes. Agenesis prevalence was 50.6 and 51.7% for UCLP and BCLP patients, respectively. The lateral upper incisor was the most frequently absent tooth, especially in the cleft quadrant. Numbers of absent teeth ranged from 1 to 6. This study represents a different approach from previous agenesis investigations in cleft patients. These Spanish patients showed a high number of ageneses, presenting nineteen different tooth agenesis codes. A total of five TACs were unique, in other words, observed in a single patient in the sample. No statistically significant relationship was found between the extent of the cleft and the number of absent teeth. The TAC system makes it possible to identify agenesis codes with simultaneous absence of teeth not detected in general prevalence studies.     

Symmetry and combinations of hypodontia in non-cleft and cleft palate children

Abstract — Symmetry and combinations of hypodontia was studied and compared in non-cleft (NONC) and cleft palate (CP) groups with different prevalences of hypodontia. The NONC group included 300 children with one or more congenitally absent permanent teeth, excluding the third molars, and 79 children with isolated cleft palate without accessory anomalies. There were no significant differences between the groups in distribution of children with agenesis of 1 to 11 teeth. Bilateral agenesis increased with increasing number of absent teeth per child, and it was more frequent in the maxillary teeth of the NONC group and in the mandibular teeth of the CP group. Concomitant agenesis was observed in one to four different dental fields per child, and the distribution of the subjects was similar in both groups. We conclude that the symmetry of agenesis may be dependent on the population frequency of hypodontia and on the number of absent teeth per child. The agenesis in the CP group may have a common genetic basis, but the substantially higher incidence of hypodontia in the maxilla is likely caused by factors similar to those causing the cleft itself.     

Epidemiology of Hoffmeister's "genetically determined predisposition to disturbed development of the dentition" in patients with cleft lip and palate.

OBJECTIVE: Type and prevalence rates of the symptoms of Hoffmeister's "genetically determined predisposition to disturbed development of the dentition" were studied in patients with clefts. PATIENTS: Data of 263 patients with nonsyndromic clefts of lip (alveolus and palate) or isolated cleft palates were examined in a retrospective study. SETTING: The clefts were classified as cleft lip or cleft lip and alveolus, cleft palate, unilateral cleft lip and palate, and bilateral cleft lip and palate. All patients were scrutinized for 28 individual symptoms. Prevalences of the individual symptoms were statistically evaluated regarding cleft type and gender by using the chi-square test and were also compared with findings in patients without clefts. RESULTS: In 97.7% of the patients with clefts, at least one symptom was found. Microdontia of individual teeth, hypodontia, and hyperodontia were the symptoms most frequently recorded. Comparison of the different cleft types revealed differences regarding the prevalences of supernumerary lateral incisors (p = .051), infraposition of deciduous molars (p < .001), and atypical tooth bud position (p = .030). Comparison of the prevalences of 10 symptoms recorded in the patients with clefts with the prevalences recorded in patients without clefts showed nine symptoms were found much more frequently in the population with clefts. CONCLUSION: These findings support the hypothesis that clefting is part of a complex malformation associated with other dental anomalies resulting from disturbed development of the dentition. Patients with clefts are also likely to present other deficiencies of dental development and tooth eruption in both dentitions, even in regions not affected by the cleft.     

Tooth agenesis patterns in bilateral cleft lip and palate

Bartzela TN, Carels CEL, Bronkhorst EM, Rønning E, Rizell S, Kuijpers-Jagtman AM. Tooth agenesis patterns in bilateral cleft lip and palate. Eur J Oral Sci 2010; 118: 47–52. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 Eur J Oral Sci
Individuals with cleft lip and palate present significantly more dental anomalies, even outside the cleft area, than do individuals without clefts. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of tooth agenesis and patterns of hypodontia in a large sample of patients with complete bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP). Serial panoramic radiographs (the first radiograph was taken at 10.5–13.5 yr of age) of 240 patients with BCLP (172 male patients, 68 female patients) were examined. Third molars were not included in the evaluation. Agenesis of at least one tooth was present in 59.8% of patients. Upper laterals and upper and lower second premolars were missing most frequently. Using the tooth agenesis code (TAC), 52 different agenesis patterns were identified, of which simultaneous agenesis of 12, 22, 15, 25, 35, and 45 was the most frequent pattern. Nine of the 240 patients showed combined BCLP and oligodontia.     

Left-sided predominance of hypodontia irrespective of cleft sidedness in a French population

Objective : Individuals with oral clefts exhibit considerably more dental anomalies than do individuals without clefts. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of tooth agenesis in a sample composed of 124 children (81 boys and 43 girls, mean age 12.5?years) with clefts registered with the Cleft Palate Center in Strasbourg (France). Design : Cleft types and dental agenesis were assessed by clinical and radiographic examination. Cleft types were divided into four groups according to the clinical extent of the cleft (cleft lip only [CL, 12.9%], cleft lip and alveolus [CLA, 4%], cleft lip and palate [CLP, 49.2%], and cleft palate only [CP, 33.9%]). Results : Of the subjects 63% had evidence of hypodontia: maxillary lateral incisors (54%) and upper and lower premolars (32%) were the most common missing teeth. The number of dental ageneses associated with CP (54%) and CLP (79%) was significantly higher than that with CL (33%). All these anomalies were found in proportionately higher frequencies as the severity of the cleft increased, and we found left side predominance for hypodontia (p < .01) irrespective of cleft sidedness. Conclusions : Both right-sided and left-sided clefts were more frequently correlated with left-sided dental agenesis. This left-sided prevalence suggests that common signaling malfunctions might be involved, both in dental development anomalies and cleft genesis.     

The Kabuki syndrome: four patients with oral abnormalities

The aim of this paper is to report the oral signs and symptoms of four patients with Kabuki syndrome. All had oral abnormalities affecting the palate, teeth, and/or lips, including wide spacing between the teeth, screwdriver-shaped upper incisors, hypodontia, delayed tooth eruption, narrow spacing in the upper canine area, large pulp chambers of the upper incisors and permanent molars, external root resorption of the upper central incisors and permanent molars, a division of the lower third of the root canal in normally one-rooted teeth, tooth retention, retrognathia of the upper jaw, a high palate or cleft lip/palate, and microforms of lower lip fistula.     

A comparison of growth impairment and orthodontic results in adult patients with clefts of palate and unilateral clefts of lip, palate and alveolus

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the long-term aesthetic and functional results of surgical and orthodontic treatment in patients with cleft palate and unilateral cleft lip, palate, and alveolus. DESIGN: 30 patients with unilateral cleft lip, palate, and alveolus and 30 patients with isolated cleft palate, mean age of 18.9 years, were evaluated by cephalometric and model analysis a mean of 1.5 years after orthodontic treatment. In each group the surgical treatment has been similar. RESULTS: Model analysis: The sum of every mesiodistal tooth diameter in the maxilla and in the mandible was recorded according to the Bolton analysis. Twenty patients with unilateral cleft lip, palate and alveolus had relatively large upper dental arches and nine had relatively large lower dental arches. Twenty-two patients with cleft palates had large upper dental arches and seven had large mandibular arches. Eleven patients with unilateral cleft lip, palate, and alveolus and 18 patients with cleft palate had a negative space supply (the sum of the mesiodistal tooth diameters compared with the sagittal length of the alveolar ridge) in the region of the lateral teeth. All patients had persistent transverse space deficits that were increased on the side of the cleft in patients with cleft lip, palate, and alveolus. These unilateral transversal space deficits were recorded in 22 patients with unilateral cleft lip, palate, and alveolus and in 8 patients with isolated cleft palate. Sagittal measurements were reduced in 26 patients with unilateral cleft lip, palate, and alveolus and in 23 patients with cleft palate alone. The alveolar midline of the maxilla and the mandible were displaced in 25 patients with unilateral cleft lip, palate, and alveolus and in 19 patients with isolated cleft palate. Lateral cephalometric analysis: The lateral cephalograms taken at the same time as the models showed a mean SNA of 76.8 degrees and a NL-NSL angle of 8.7 degrees, indications of a tendency towards maxillary retrognathia in patients with unilateral cleft lip, palate, and alveolus. Patients with cleft palate had a mean SNA of 79.6 degrees and NL-NSL angle of 8.1 degrees. The anterior facial vertical index was within normal limits in patients with cleft lip, palate, and alveolus (44% vs 56%). An anterior facial height index of 42% compared with 58% in patients with isolated cleft palate indicated a slight reduction in midface height with an increase in the lower face as a consequence. CONCLUSION: Orthodontic and surgical treatment can result in satisfactory results on model analysis. However, there is specific growth impairment of the maxilla 1.5 years after termination of orthodontic treatment and this influences the final cephalometric analysis, particularly in patients with cleft lip, palate, and alveolus.