The Cleft Runs Through the Teeth
Take the reading one piece at a time. For each piece: read it once, underline the sentence that says what happens, then look up any word in the list. Tap a word to see its definition.
Piece 1 of 3
The upper front teeth sit in the alveolus of the maxilla in this left-to-right order: central incisor, lateral incisor, canine. In a complete unilateral cleft like Mateo's, the cleft line runs through the alveolus right at the spot between the central incisor and the canine. That spot is exactly where the lateral incisor should form, which is why that tooth is the one most often disrupted.
Piece 2 of 3
A study of a German CL/P population counted dental anomalies. Hypodontia (missing teeth) was 50 percent overall, and it tracked with cleft extent: 34.5 percent in clefts of lip and alveolus only, 51.6 percent in unilateral CLP, and 70.1 percent in bilateral CLP. The single most-often-missing tooth was the maxillary lateral incisor, missing 23.2 percent of the time. The same population also showed the opposite problem: supernumerary (extra) teeth in 33.3 percent. A separate 300-patient study found tooth agenesis in 66 percent, supernumerary teeth in 19.6 percent, and microdontia (small teeth) in 18.3 percent.
Piece 3 of 3
The pattern is clear: a cleft does not just leave a cosmetic gap. It leaves a gap in the bone, disrupts the teeth at the cleft line, and sets up a lifetime of orthodontic and dental care.
Reading the Research
- Skim the title and abstract first to get the gist.
- Circle the one sentence that states the main claim.
- Box the evidence the authors give for that claim.
- Mark one sentence that confuses you, and move on.
Now put it together: In one or two sentences, say what this whole reading is telling you about Mateo. Then go back to the lesson and fill in the guided notes.