Radiographic Assessment of Craniofacial Morphology and Airway Dimensions of Parents of Cleft Lip and Palate Patients

Objective: To assess and compare maternal and paternal craniofacial morphology and airway dimensions of parents of children with unilateral or bilateral cleft lip and palate (CLP). Study Design: A cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Orthodontics, the Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from September 2022 to March 2024. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted on lateral cephalograms, posterior-anterior cephalograms (PA, Ceph), and orthopantomograms (OPG) of 44 parental pairs of cleft lip and palate patients. Fifteen radiographic variables were used to analyse the craniofacial morphology, dental and soft tissue patterns, and airway dimensions of parents of CLP children. Frequencies and percentages for paternal and maternal skeletal, soft tissue, and dental craniofacial variables as well as airway dimensions of parents were calculated and compared. Results: The majority of fathers and mothers presented with class I sagittal skeletal pattern with no facial asymmetry and normal maxillary and mandibular lengths and were normodivergent. However, a trend of a relatively greater percentage of increased lower facial height was seen in fathers and decreased lower facial height was seen in mothers. An increased percentage of protrusive upper lip was found in fathers. Dental inclinations were normally inclined in most of the parental pairs. Upper and lower incisor proclination was found in a greater percentage of fathers. Upper incisors were retroclined in a greater percentage of mothers. The airway dimension was normal in the majority of parents, however, percentage of narrowed upper and lower airways was greater in fathers. Conclusion: Parents of patients with CLP showed craniofacial morphology comparable to norms of the population with some distinct characteristics.