Development of the palate morphology and dental arch form in cleft patients

Development of the palate morphology and shape of the dental arch in patients with cleft Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the differences in development of the palate morphology and in the relationship and shape of the dental arches in two groups of individuals with different types of orofacial cleft defects. Introduction: Orofacial clefts are the cause of the insufficient growth of the face. Range of the resulting deformation depends on the type of cleft, individual growth disposition of the patient and comprehensive interdisciplinary treatment of the cleft. Material and Methods: The sample consisted of 18 patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate and 18 patients with isolated cleft palate. Measurements were performed on study casts of patients aged 9 and 13 years in average. Following measurements were performed: the frontal and distal width of the upper and lower dental arch, the length of both halves of the upper dental arches, the frontal length and depth of the upper dental arch and the overjet. According to the sagittal relationship of the dental arches, patients were classified into one of five categories of the GOSLON yardstick score. The results were compared between groups and between both age periods using one- or two-sample Wilcoxon test and Fisher test for the GOSLON..