Tooth Size in Cleft Lip and or Palate Patients in Comparison with Normal Individuals in Shiraz

Statement of Problem: The most common major defect of the lip and palate is clefting. Clefting occurs due to failure of fusion between embryologic structures. Tooth size abnormalities are common in these patients. This study was performed to determine the tooth size in cleft lip and or patients and compare with normal individual. This study was carried out on 51 pretreatment orthodontic records of the cleft lip and or palate patients and compared with 276 normal individuals. These subjects were in acceptable age for determination of the mesiodistal width of the teeth. The greatest mesiodistal width of all permanent teeth on each model was obtained except the second and third molars. The measuring was done by digital calliper with 0.01 mm accuracy. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS software and t. test. This study showed that there was no asymmetry in tooth size between cleft and normal sides of the maxillary arch. The upper teeth in cleft patients were smaller than the upper teeth in normal patients and there was a significant difference. The lateral incisor and first premolar in females and the central incisor, second premolar and first molar in males were smaller in the cleft patients than normal groups in the mandibular arch. We concluded that: 1) tooth size of the maxillary arch in cleft patients was smaller than non-cleft subjects. 2) There was no significant difference between cleft and non-cleft sides in tooth size. 3) Tooth size in mandibular arch of cleft patients was affected less than maxillary arch.