3D Stereophotogrammetry Analysis of Palatal Area and Dental Occlusion in Children With and Without Oral Clefts

This study aimed to analyze the area of dental arches and occlusion of children with and without cleft lip and palate at 5 years of age. Methods: Group 1 (unilateral cleft lip and palate) and group 2 (without cleft lip and palate) comprised 30 children each. The palatal surface area was assessed by marking points in a clockwise direction along the gingival margin of the teeth and drawing a straight line between the distal-palatal points of the deciduous second molars. Occlusion was also evaluated using the Atack index. Both the palatal surface and Atack index were assessed using digitized dental models. 3D analyses of the dental arches were performed using the stereophotogrammetry system software. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), Shapiro-Wilk normality test, and Mann-Whitney test were applied (α=5%). Group 1 showed a significantly lower value in the area analysis ( P =0.002). Atack index 4 was the most frequent (n=8, 27%), followed by index 1, 2, 5, and 3 (n=7, 23%; n=6, 20%; n=6, 20%; n=3, 10%, respectively). It is concluded that children with cleft lip and palate had a reduced palatal surface area compared with children without craniofacial anomalies at 5 years of age. Most children with orofacial clefts had unfavorable occlusal indices due to negative horizontal overjet and crossbite.