title: [Long-term evaluation of bilateral alveolar bone grafting].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the long-term result of the bilateral alveolar bone grafting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five consecutive complete bilateral cleft lip and palate patients (36 males and 19 females) who had alveolar bone grafting were included in this study. The total number of cleft sites was 110. Cancellous bone from the iliac crest was grafted into the alveolar cleft areas. The cleft sites were studied in two groups according to whether the cleft canine had erupted prior to bone grafting or not. Anterior occlusal radiographs were taken before and after bone grafting. The minimum period of observation after alveolar bone grafting was one year. Criteria described by Bergland et al. (1986) were utilised to assess the height of the interdental septum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that bone grafting before canine eruption has a higher clinical success rate (95%) compared with that carried out after canine eruption (67%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The critical variable affecting the quality of bilateral alveolar bone grafting is the timing of the surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, School of Stomatology, Beijing Medical University, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mars
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D002648:Child; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000601:surgery*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003481:Cuspid / Q000503:physiopathology; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors; D014078:Tooth Eruption; D016896:Treatment Outcome