Changes in the Transverse Dimension of the Maxillary Arch of 5-Year-Olds Born With UCLP Since the Introduction of Nationwide Guidance.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether the transverse dimensions of the maxillary arch of 5-year-old children with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) have changed following centralization of cleft services in the United Kingdom.

DESIGN

Retrospective cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Digital analysis of UCLP maxillary dental casts.

PARTICIPANTS

All available maxillary dental casts from 5-year-old participants of the Clinical Standards Advisory Group (CSAG, N = 114) and Cleft Care UK (CCUK, N = 175) studies.

INTERVENTIONS: Quantitative measurements of the intercanine width (ICW), intermolar width (IMW), and the distance from the midline to the greater and lesser side canine (GC/LC) and greater side and lesser side second primary molar (GE/LE). Degree measurements of the greater and lesser arch form angles, arch length, anterior palatal depth (APD), and posterior palatal depth were also measured.

MAIN OUTCOME: Differences between the transverse dimensions of the maxillary arch for the CSAG and CCUK cohorts.

RESULTS

In 5 (ICW, IMW, LC, LE, and APD) of the 11 measurements, there was a statistically significant difference between the CSAG and CCUK cohorts. In all of these, the CCUK values were greater than CSAG.

CONCLUSIONS

There have been small but positive improvements for the transverse maxillary dimensions since centralization of the UK cleft service.