Objective: To determine the chronology and sequence of eruption of the deciduous teeth in children with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate.
Design: Cross-sectional study.
Setting: Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies, University of Sao Paulo, Bauru, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Sample: A total of 435 children aged 0 to 48 months who presented with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate.
Results: All teeth on the cleft side in both jaws for both sexes presented a higher mean age of eruption than their homologues at the noncleft side. This difference was statistically significant for the maxillary lateral incisor, maxillary cuspid, and mandibular lateral incisor. There was a statistically significant sex difference regarding the mean age of eruption only for the maxillary second molar for the girls and mandibular cuspid for the boys. The maxillary lateral incisor on the cleft side was the last tooth to erupt, thus modifying the sequence of eruption of the deciduous teeth.
Conclusions: The results suggest the interference of the cleft on the chronology of eruption of the deciduous teeth that are directly related to it.