Craniofacial Development in Children with Unilateral Clefts of the lip, Alveolus, and Palate Treated According to four Different Regimes: III. The Soft Tissue Profile at 16-18 Years of Age

Abstract

The soft tissue profiles of 85 16-18 year old children with unilateral clefts of the lip, alveolus, and palate treated according to four different regimes were studied using lateral skull radiographs. Regimes that included secondary bone grafting to the alveolus in the mixed dentition gave better convexity of the soft tissue profile (excluding the nose) and better soft tissue sagittal jaw relationships compared with treatment regimens that included primary bone grafting. The soft tissue profile in regimes that excluded bone grafting was almost as favourable as those in regimes in which bone grafting was done during the mixed dentition.

Key Words:

• unilateral cleft lip
• alveolus
• palate
• soft tissue profile