Maxillary dental arch and occlusion in repaired clefts of the secondary palate: influence of surgical closure with minimal denudation of bone.

A change in the method of surgical repair of cleft palate initiated this study of 64 patients with various degree of clefts of the secondary palate. Study casts were obtained at different ages. Certain measurements were taken and compared with those made in a previous investigation of similar patients operated on by the so-called "push-back" technique. Growth in the width of the maxillary dental arch and occlusion had improved, but there were significant differences only for the patients with velar clefts.