Method: This is a retrospective longitudinal cohort study of 83 isolated UCLP children treated at the Cleft and Craniofacial Department of Princess Margaret Hospital, Perth. Orthopanthogram (OPG) and lateral cephalogram (LC) radiographs were taken at 3 years interval between the ages of 6-15 years old. Children with significant medical history and diagnosed syndromes were excluded. The non-cleft control samples consisted of 306 age and gender-matched children from the University of Queensland School of Dentistry and four private orthodontic practices in Brisbane. Dental age was determined from the OPG using the Demirjian et al (1973) method and skeletal maturity assessed from the cervical vertebrae seen on the lateral cephalogram as described by Baccetti et al (2005). Differences between UCLP and control children were tested using paired t- test and Chi square test with a significance level of p<0.05.
Result: There was no significant difference in skeletal and dental maturity between UCLP and control girls. UCLP boys had significant dental delay at 9 years of age with a mean delay of 0.5 ± 1.2 years (P<0.05) and a delay of skeletal growth at 12 years of age (P<0.05) compared to controls. However, by 15 years old, this difference ceased to be significant.
Conclusion: UCLP boys showed significant dental and skeletal delay but eventually caught up to their non-cleft counterparts.