Decision Making for Residual Palatoalveolar Cleft Defects: A New Classification

Oral rehabilitation of adult patients with cleft lip and palate is related to the severity of the anatomical and functional alterations that hamper the proper closure of the nasopharynx. The ideal treatment is closure by bone graft and orthodontics. However, when surgery is not possible or when the patient does not wish to undergo surgery, a palatal prosthesis may offer the best solution in most clinical situations. The authors of this article propose a new classification to help the practitioner with decision making and prosthetic treatment planning for residual palatoalveolar cleft defects.