Abstract
University Hospital, during the period January 1976 to March 1984. To assess the current situation of the demand for orthodontic treatment, the cleft patients were examined with relation to such variables as age, stage of dental development, type of cleft and malocclusion.
The following findings were observed.
1. The total number of cleft cases were classified according to cleft type as follows: 17 cases (13.5%) in cleft lip and/or alveolus (CL),71 cases (56.3%) in unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP),19 cases (15.1% ) in bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) and 18 cases (14.2%) in isolated cleft palate (CP).
2. According to age distribution, over 60% of the cleft patients were found in age range 6-11 years. However, a high percentage of patients of 15 years old or above was noticed in cleft lip group.
3. The frequency distribution of patients by dental development stage revealed more than half of them visited the orthodontic clinic during the period of the deciduous and early mixed dentition.
4. Characteristics of occlusion in the cleft patients were the severe cross-bite and teeth crowding in the anterior and posterior segments of dental arches. In cleft lip group, on the other hand, alignmen t anomalies restricted to individual teeth were more common than occlusal anomalies.
5. A marked increase of the number of the cleft patients was shown during last two years (1982-1983) and, consequently, the cleft cases comprised about 30% of the orthodontic cases.
