Comparison of Intercanine and Intermolar Width Between Cleft Lip Palate and Normal Class I Occlusion Group.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the mean difference of arch dimensions (both intercanine and intermolar width) between cleft lip palate and normal class I occlusion group.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional analytic study.

PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan Institute of Oral Health Sciences, [Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS)], Karachi, from March 2012 to April 2013.

METHODOLOGY: Group 1 consisted of 32 subjects with complete repaired, non-syndromic unilateral and bilateral cleft lip palate. Group 2 consisted of 32 subjects with normal facial morphology and class I occlusion. Exclusion criteria were cleft lip palate subjects with systemic diseases, any arch expansion procedure, incomplete repaired palate, open fistulas, developmental or acquired craniofacial muscular deformities, autoimmune conditions, syndromes, endocrine abnormalities, neurological problems, or previous history of orthodontic treatment and signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders, history of trauma, impacted or missing teeth, periodontally involved teeth, subdivision molar classification, skeletal base II and III with molar class I. The transverse width (intercanine and intermolar width) of dental casts was measured with the help of digital caliper. The intercanine width was measured between cusp tips of the canine while the intermolar width distance was measured between mesiobuccal cusp tips of first molars, and buccal grooves of the mandibular first molars in both cleft lip palate and normal class I occlusion group, respectively.

RESULTS: There were 64 subjects with mean 14.7 ±6.8 years in the cleft palate and 14.7 ±6.3 years in the normal group. There was statistically significant differences found between intercanine and intermolar width in maxillary arch (p < 0.001). In mandibular arch, only intercanine width has showed significant difference (p < 0.001) between cleft and normal occlusion class I group.

CONCLUSION: Maxillary and mandibular intercanine width was found to be significantly reduced in cleft lip palate group (both unilateral and bilateral) as compared to normal class I occlusion group.