Periodontal clinical status of patients with alveolus palatal lip fissure

Introduction: The alveolus palatal lip fissure is a type of oral-facial malformation that can affect oral health and, consequently, self-esteem. Objective: To describe the clinical periodontal status of the upper anterior sextant in patients with alveolus palatal lip fissure. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was designed to evaluate 60 patients diagnosed with alveolus palatal lip fissure. The following conditions were analyzed through direct clinical observation: periodontal condition (the amount of soft biofilm, gingival bleeding, clinical attachment level, and probing depth), gingival condition (the extent of gingival recession, periodontal phenotype, type of labial frenulum, and amount of keratinized gingiva), and dental condition (missing teeth and tooth mobility). Results: Thirty-four patients were male (56.7%). The mean age was 18±7 years, and 93.3% had at least one orthodontic treatment. Thirty percent (n=18) presented unilateral right-sided alveolus palatal lip fissure, and 35% bilateral alveolus palatal lip fissure. Patients with unilateral left-sided alveolus palatal lip fissure had poor oral hygiene (23.3%). Many frenulums with gingival insertion were found, mainly in patients with unilateral right fissure (20%). The greatest amount of keratinized gingiva was evident at the level of the upper right lateral incisor (4.12±0.74) and the lowest amount at the level of the upper right canine (3.77±0.44). Conclusions: The periodontal status of patients with alveolus palatal lip fissure is heterogeneous, with a higher frequency of poor oral hygiene, but with stable gingival conditions, which do not show evidence of progression of inflammatory processes.