Assessment of the alveolar bone support of patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate: a cone-beam computed tomography study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the bone support of the teeth adjacent to a cleft using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The CBCT scans of 31 patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) were assessed. The data for teeth neighboring the cleft were compared with those of contralateral noncleft teeth. For each tooth analyzed, the distance between the cementoenamel junction (CEJ) and the bone crest (AC) at the buccal side was measured as was the thickness of the buccal bone level at 0, 1, 2, and 4 mm. RESULTS: The bone thicknesses of the central teeth at the cleft region at the crest and 2 mm apically were statistically significantly thinner than that of the central incisor at a noncleft region. The CEJ-AC distance for central teeth at the cleft region was higher than that for central teeth in a noncleft region. CONCLUSIONS: Subjects with UCLP showed reduced bone support at teeth neighboring the cleft compared with controls. This may cause some problems during orthodontic treatment.