Second premolar agenesis as a subclinical phenotype of isolated cleft palate

Objective - To compare the prevalence of dental anomalies in patients with isolated cleft palate with or without hypodontia of the second premolar. Setting and Sample Population - A total of 653 patients with isolated cleft palate aged 8-12 years were divided into two groups: G1-subjects without hypodontia of second premolar (n = 546) and G2-subjects with hypodontia of at least one-second premolar ( n = 107). The control group consisted of 107 non-cleft orthodontic patients. Materials & Methods - Panoramic and periapical radiographs and dental casts were used to analyze the presence of dental anomalies. Inter-group comparisons were performed using the chi-square test complemented by Proportion test and Bonferroni test. Results - G2 presented higher prevalence of hypodontia of other permanent teeth compared to G1 and control. Ectopic eruption of the maxillary canine and tooth transposition were more frequent in patients with a cleft compared to patients without a cleft, without statistical differences. Deciduous molar infra-occlusion and second premolar disto-angulation were less prevalent in G1 and G2 compared to the control group. G2 showed a higher prevalence of complete cleft palate than G1. Conclusion - Patients with cleft palate and second premolar agenesis showed increased prevalence of tooth agenesis and palatally displaced canines.