title: Long-term radiographic assessment of secondary alveolar bone grafting outcomes in patients with alveolar clefts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to assess the outcomes of secondary alveolar bone grafting (SABG) in patients with complete, unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) operated on before eruption of the permanent canine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-five periapical radiographs from 41 patients with left UCLP and 24 with right UCLP (9 to 12 years old at SABG), were analyzed retrospectively for the amount of bone in the cleft site according to the Bergland and Chelsea scales, and for the occurrence of canine eruption (CE) through the neoformed bone.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the cases, 71% were classified as Bergland type I and Chelsea type A; 15% as types II/C, and 14% could not be classified. CE was observed in 95% of the cases operated on 4 years before the study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SABG performed before CE is a procedure with a high rate of success. The radiographic scales proved to be important instruments for assessing surgical outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Prostheses and Traumatology, São Paulo School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. ivytrin@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Ivy Kiemle
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Trindade
authors.forename: Reinaldo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mazzottini
authors.forename: Omar Gabriel da
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Silva Filho
authors.forename: Inge Elly Kiemle
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Trindade
authors.forename: Maria Cristina Zindel
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Deboni
mesh_terms: D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D000543:Alveoloplasty / Q000379:methods*; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000601:surgery; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D003481:Cuspid / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014078:Tooth Eruption