Comparison of Dental Age in Patients with and without Cleft Lip and Palate: A CBCT Study

Background: This study was designed to estimate the dental age of patients with Cleft Lip and Palate (CLP) and compare it with the control group using the Demirjian’s method based on Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) technique. Methods: The CBCT images of 46 patients with CLP aged 5–16 years and 46 age-gender matched patients without CLP were evaluated. The dental age was determined using Demirjian’s method compared between the two groups (control, experimental) using independent t-test. Significant level was considered at p<0.05. Results: The dental age was overestimated in relation to the chronological age in both groups p < 0.001. The mean of dental age in patients with CLP was lower in comparison to control group; however, no statistically significant difference was found (p=0.706). Conclusion: The findings revealed that both groups exhibited a significantly higher mean dental age compared to their chronological age, indicating advanced dental development relative to their actual age. However, no significant difference was observed between the CLP and control groups regarding this advancement in dental age, suggesting that CLP may not have a substantial impact on the overall timing of dental development. These results suggest that while dental age may advance beyond chronological age in children with and without CLP, CLP itself is not a determining factor in this developmental difference.