A determination of the sensitivity if the dental pulp of primary maxillary anterior teeth to electrical stimuli in children with unilateral and bilateral clefts / Determinação da sensibilidade da polpa dentária do maxilar anterior primário a estímulo elétrico em crianças com fissura unilateral e bilateral

A study was conducted to determine differences in pulpal sensitivity of the maxillary primary anterior teeth in groups of children with unilateral clefts of the lip, alveolar process and palate, bilateral clefts of the lip process, and children without clefts. Thirty-nine children between the ages of 4 and 5 years with a total of 216 maxillary primary anterior teeth were tested using a pulp tester. The results indicated that maxillary primary anterior teeth distal to the cleft site are unaffected and demonstrate pulpal responses similar to the control group, while maxillary primary anterior teeth mesial to the cleft site are affected and demonstrate signficantly less response to pulp testing compared to the control group. The results of this study are important for the clinician in establishing a proper diagnosis and treatment plan for children with clefts