14 To our knowledge, only one study in the literature identified patterns of tooth agenesis, including agenesis both in and outside the cleft area, in patients with UCLP.15 In this study, we described tooth agenesis patterns of the dentition, as a whole,

in a group of CUCLP patients using a numeric coding system, the Tooth Agenesis Code (TAC).16 Each missing tooth, in each quadrant of the dentition is assigned a specific value (Table 1). The sum of the unique numbers of each missing tooth for each quadrant (TAC of the quadrant) permits the PD0332991 research buy recognition of the agenesis pattern of the quadrant. The TAC of the whole dentition is composed of the TACs of each quadrant, displaced by separators. Therefore, the aim of this study was to characterize tooth agenesis patterns and their overall prevalence in patients with CUCLP. Panoramic radiographs (OPTs) of 115 patients (78 males and 37 females) with CUCLP f(85 patients had a cleft on the left side and 30 on the right side) from the Cleft Palate Craniofacial Unit in Nijmegen (The Netherlands) were evaluated. Inclusion criteria for the present study were: i. CUCLP diagnosis confirmed by pre-operative records. Patients with Simonart‘s band were excluded (N = 18); This research was conducted in full accordance with ethical principles, including the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki. Congenitally missing teeth

were identified on the OPTs and the results were verified by dental records to exclude premature extractions. Third molars OSI-744 concentration were not included in the assessment.

Agenesis was defined as the lack of any differentially calcified tissue (pointing to the presence of enamel and dentin) in the area of the corresponding tooth. All radiographs were scored by two observers. For assessing interobserver reliability, 133 radiographs were scored twice by 2 observers. In case of disagreement, a decision was reached by consensus. Eighteen patients were excluded from the final assessment because they did not fulfil the inclusion criteria. Patterns of tooth agenesis were identified using a binary system developed by van Wijk and Tan.16 The scoring system was dichotomized as the presence (0) or absence (1) of teeth. BCKDHA A specific value was assigned for each missing tooth type. The sum of these values was given for each quadrant of the mouth, representing a unique value for each pattern of missing teeth, the so-called Tooth Agenesis Code (TAC). According to the TAC, a certain quadrant without tooth agenesis would have a value of TAC = 0 and a quadrant with complete tooth agenesis would have a TAC = 255 (Table 1 shows the TAC system).17 The overall TAC score was used to identify patterns of tooth agenesis for the entire mouth. For example, when TAC = 100.123.038.001, the number 100 corresponds to the first quadrant, 123 to the second, 038 to the third, and 001 to the fourth.17 The number 100 is the sum of the values 64 + 32 + 4.