Cleidocranial dysplasia: diagnostic criteria and combined treatment

Cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD) is an uncommon, generalized skeletal disorder characterized by delayed ossification of the skull, aplastic or hypoplastic clavicles, and serious, complex dental abnormalities. There are many difficulties in the early diagnosis of CCD because a majority of the craniofacial abnormalities becomes obvious only during adolescence. In the present case, a hypoplastic midface, a relative prognathia of the mandible, and close approximation of the shoulders in the anterior plane were the conspicuous extraoral findings. Prolonged exfoliation of the primary dentition, unerupted supernumerary teeth, and the irregularly and partially erupted secondary dentition produced occlusional anomalies. The presence of the second permanent molars together with the primary dentition and wide spacing in the lower incisor area were typical dental signs. Gradual extraction of the supernumerary teeth and over-retained primary teeth was the first step of oral surgery. This was followed by a surgical exposure of the unerupted teeth by thinning of the cortical bone. Orthodontic treatment was aimed at parallel growth of the jaws. Removable appliances were used to expand the narrow maxillary and mandibular arches, and a Delaire mask compensated for the lack of sagittal growth of the upper jaw. Temporary functional rehabilitation was solved by partial denture. When the jaws have been fully developed, implant insertions and bridges are the therapeutic measures. The reported case and the literature data support the importance of the early diagnosis and interdisciplinary treatment of CCD.