Implant-prosthetic rehabilitation for a patient with monolateral cleft lip and palate: A clinical report

Cleft lip and palate (CLP) is a malformation of genetic derivation. For patients affected by CLP, procedures of guided bone regeneration by autologous bone grafting are recognized as the most effective to close oronasal communication. The residual gap of alveolar ridge, determined by the absence of 1 or more permanent teeth, can be completed by implant-prosthetic rehabilitation. This kind of rehabilitation for patients with CLP has the aim of completing dental reconstruction by avoiding sacrifice of adjacent teeth and preserving symmetric appearance. This article describes the rehabilitation of an 18-year-old patient affected by right unilateral CLP with use of a titanium implant supporting a single crown to replace the lateral incisor. The technique used was particularly helpful for this cleft case, in which a bone deficit subsisted after secondary bone grafting. An additional bone grafting procedure was performed at the time of implant placement to achieve the best functional and esthetic results. Keywords: alveolar ridge, cleft palate, grafting bone, single-tooth dental implant