Orthodontic Therapy in Patient with Facial Complete Palate Cleft (Part 2)

Abstract

In the case report the of orthodontic therapy is documented in a 12-year boy with bilateral complete cleft of upper jaw in the phase of preparing to surgical reconstruction of alveolar process. Prior to the planned surgical intervention it became necessary to increase the width of upper dental arch and to adjust mutual position of individual segments of upper jaw. In order to achieve transversal expansion the authors used palatal fixed orthodontic appliance with a hyrax type screw. The orthodontic therapy adjusted the shape of upper dental arch, improved the relation of maxillary segments and the cleft was widened according to the surgeon's requirements for supplementing the alveolar process with spongious bone. The condition reached was stabilized by a special fixed orthodontic appliance during the surgery and also in the period of postoperative healing. The orthodontic intervention facilitated the surgical intervention and secured stability of the newly formed morphology of upper dental arch. The peroperative and postoperative efficiency of the used retention fixed appliance was verified by measurement on a series of models of upper jaw of the patient before, during and after the surgical reconstruction of alveolar process.

Keywords

• cleft palate
• fan hyrax
• fixed retention appliance