Abstract
A 16-year 4-month-old female, at the first visit to our department, with bimaxillary cleft lip and palate was treated by surgical orthodontics and was applied telescope denture at the final prosthodontic treatment.
At the a ge of 18 years 2 months, expansion of the maxillary collapse dental arch was started in presurgical orthodontic treatment by the multibracket system. In the 18-month treatment period, at the age of 19 years 8 months, mandibular sagittal splitting osteotomy, mentoplastics, and bone onlay of nasal bone were performed. In this period, lip reconstructive surgery was performed after postsurgical orthodontic treatment, and retention was started at the age of 20 years 6 months. Closure operation of the rest hole in the palate was performed at the age of 20 years 11 months. Inner crowns of the upper first molar to the first premolar were connected by bar attachments and an overdenture (telescope)denture) was applied over these inner crowns after 3 months. After these treatments, facial appearance was improved and occlusion was stabilized and the patient was very satisfied. However, due to severe dental caries, a large, complex denture had to be applied. It was considered that if early orthodontic treatment could have been carried out and the maxillary dental arch could have been expanded as easily as brushing teeth, severe caries might not have occurred and a more simple prosthodontic appliance could have been applied.
