Evaluation of masticatory function in patients with cleft lip and/or palate

The aim of this study was to evaluate the masticatory pattern in children with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) through investigation of the prevalence of reverse sequencing chewing cycles. The study group included 18 patients with CL/P (mean age: 7.4 yr, SD: 1.4 yr), 15 of whom had dental crossbite. The controls included a group of 18 non-CL/P children with the same types of crossbite as the study group (mean age: 7.2 yr, SD: 1.5 yr) and a group of 18 non-CL/P subjects with normal occlusion (mean age: 9.8 yr, SD: 1.9 yr). Mandibular movements during chewing of soft and hard bolus were recorded with a kinesiograph. Kinematic signals were analysed using a custom-made software. A statistical analysis was performed to compare the degree of reverse-sequencing chewing cycles between patients and controls (Kruskal–Wallis test with Dwass-Steel-Critchlow-Fligner pairwise comparisons post hoc test). A significant difference between patients with CL/P and non-CL/P subjects with normal occlusion was highlighted on the left side of mastication, which was the side with the higher prevalence of crossbite with both types of bolus. No statistical differences were found between CL/P patients and healthy controls with crossbite. Cleft-affected patients with posterior crossbite exhibited an anomalous masticatory pattern with increased reverse chewing cycles on the crossbite side.