Evaluation of the Efficiency of Dental Implants Used in the Oral Rehabilitation in Cleft Patients

Cleft patients involving the lip, alveolus and palate is one of the most common malformations in humans. The absence of teeth in the fissure is common and can be rehabilitated by implants and prostheses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the success of the oral rehabilitation of cleft by means of implants in the grafted area. Material and Methods: In a retrospective analysis of 120 implants installed on cleft areas of 93 patients, mean age = 24.7 years, 48% female and 52% male. Of the total implants installed, 94% were considered osseointegrated. According to the qualitative scale, there were 50% of success (60 implants), 28% of satisfactory survival (34 implants), 7.5% of committed survival (9 implants) and 14% of failure (17 implants). When comparing the osseointegration of the implants with their length, the longer implants (≥ 10 mm) were 5 times more feasible than the shorter implants (<10 mm) (RR = 5.0; 95% CI 1.014 - 24.649; p = 0.028). The quality of the implants compared to the age of the secondary bone grafting showed that the implants installed in grafted areas at the ideal age, between 7 and 11 years, presented better quality than those installed in grafted areas above this age (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Implants are feasible in rehabilitation, and the largest implant length should be chosen. The quality of the implants is increased when the secondary graft is performed between 7 and 11 years of age.