Adult patient with bilateral cleft lip and palate treated using bone graft followed by lateral distraction: A case report

This is a case report of comprehensive treatment describing the management of an adult patient with bilateral cleft lip and palate who showed severe maxillary transverse deficiency caused by bilateral alveolar clefts. Since the residual alveolar clefts were extremely wide, we performed bone graft into the alveolar clefts first and then expanded the asymmetrically narrowed maxilla by asymmetric transverse distraction osteogenesis, in which an incision for osteotomy was made at the repaired bone bridge. The treatment accomplished successful reconstruction of the dental arches and occlusion. Aesthetic improvement was noted, with no discernible post-treatment relapse of occlusion after two years’ retention.