Canine Eruption After Secondary Alveolar Bone Graft in Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate Patients.

PURPOSE: The aim of this article is to analyze dental abnormalities in unilateral cleft lip and palate patients by focusing on the role of the secondary alveolar bone graft (SABG) surgery and its outcomes on canine eruption/inclusion.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A sample of 24 patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate were selected.Dental anomalies, canine eruption based on the existence of supernumeraries, agenesis elements, inclination of the major canine axis before and after surgery, distance from the occlusal plane before and after surgery, and sector classification were analyzed.

RESULTS: Out of the 24 patients, 87.5% presented a canine spontaneously erupted in the dental arch while 12.5% needed surgical-orthodontic traction.There is also no proof that inclination of the canine significantly influenced the eruption before (P = 0.5889) and after (P = 0.4029) surgery. Also, there is no any correlation between the 2 sides (P = 0.1257).The SABG surgery showed a significant correlation with canine eruption (P = 0.009242); moreover, SABG shows a positive relationship with the radicular development of the canine (P = 0.005163).Lateral incisive (P = 0.8493) and second premolar agenesis (P = 1) are not statistically correlated with the eruption of the canine. This does not happen with supernumerary elements that are correlated with the surgical-orthodontic traction (P = 0.0004464).

CONCLUSIONS: Agenesis does not play any role in the process of canine eruption while supernumeraries do. There is no relationship between the inclination and eruption of the canine.The SABG surgery has a key role because it contributes to create an appropriate support for the erupting canine, the nasal base and the anterior maxilla.