Dental maturation of unilateral cleft lip and palate

Cleft lip and palate (CLP) is the most common craniofacial abnormality and the fourth most common birth defect in Singapore. Many reports suggest that CLP children have delayed dental development and asymmetrical timing of tooth-pair formation. The aim of this study was to investigate the timing of development of permanent teeth in unilateral CLP (UCLP) children and to compare the findings with non-CLP children in Singapore. A total of 60 UCLP children aged between 5 and 9 years (mean 6.64 ± 0.90 years) and a non-CLP control group matched for age, gender, and race were investigated and compared. Dental records and radiographs were studied and the dental maturation was determined using the Demirjian's method (1973). The dental maturation of UCLP children were delayed compared with non-CLP children by a mean of 0.55 ± 0.75 years and the delay was statistically significant (P < 0.001). The UCLP group also had significantly higher risk of asymmetrically developing tooth pairs than the control group (P < 0.001). The most commonly delayed tooth in development was the maxillary cleft-sided lateral incisor. In conclusion, the UCLP children in Singapore demonstrated delayed dental maturation and a higher occurrence of asymmetrical tooth-pair formation than the non-CLP children.