Facial and dental relationships of individuals with unoperated clefts of the lip and/or palate.

Twelve individuals with unoperated unilateral clefts of the lip and palate and eight with unoperated unilateral clefts of thelip and alveolus were examined clinically and cephalometrically. The two groups were compared to each other and to a matched sample of normal individuals. All subjects were examined in their native India. Based on the findings of this investigation, it is suggested that, in general, the cranial base and skeletal face are not extensively malrelated in individuals with either unoperated unilateral clefts of the lip and palate or of the lip and alveolus when compared to matched normals. Yet, there are distinct differences in dentoalveolar and skeletal relations between both cleft groups and normals and between the two cleft groups.