Evaluation of Dental Root Development Regarding Maxillary Canine Eruption Status after Secondary Alveolar Bone Grafting in Patients with Cleft Lip and Palate

In children born with cleft lip and palate, the timing of the secondary alveolar bone graft (SABG) is crucial to its success; this involves estimating the eruption of the permanent maxillary canine. Altered dental eruption in this patient group gives impetus to the identification of dental developmental factors concerning maxillary canine eruption, which may steer the clinical decision of SABG timing. Records of over nine hundred patients who received SABG with pre- and post-operative cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans were analyzed for inclusion and divided into two groups (erupting or non-erupting canine after SABG). Roots of the maxillary canines and premolars were segmented from the cementoenamel junction then linear and volumetric measurements were performed. The pre- and post-operative root length and volume differences were calculated and compared statistically using independent sample tests and paired t-tests. No statistically significant differences were found in the volume change (%), or reciprocal of mean root length in the erupted and unerupted groups in the canine, first premolar, or second premolar roots except for an association between the post-operative dental root length of the canine and the maxillary canine eruption status. Therefore, assessment of root development from pre-treatment CBCT scans was not deemed worthy from a diagnostic perspective.