Letter to the Editor

TO THE EDITOR:

Heliovaara, A., J. Leikola and J. Rautio. Anterior crossbite, dental arch dimensions, and later need for orthognathic surgery in
6-year-old children with unilateral cleft lip and palate. Cleft Palate Craniofac J. 2014:51(5): 579-584.
We read with great interest the article by (Heliovaara, Leikola et al. 2014) based on determining the later need for
Orthognathic surgery in 6 year old children with Unilateral Cleft lip and palate. The retrospective longitudinal study is well
conducted and the hospital recorded data is very well organized and maintained. The authors found the, prevalence of anterior
crossbite and dental arch dimensions, difference insignificant amongst the children who later needed orthognathic surgery and
those who did not. We take issue not with their methodology but with the following Figure legend (marked) explaining the
method of linear measurements taken as:





FIGURE 1 Maxillary dental arch measurements. a:Intercanine width:
Distance between cusp tips of the upper deciduous canines. b: First
intermolar width: Distance between the mesiolingual cusps or centers of
the corresponding facets of the upper deciduous first molars. c: Second
intermolar width: Distance between the mesiolingual cusps or centers of
the corresponding facets of the upper deciduous second molars. d: Upper
dental arch width: Distance between a line at a tangent to the labial
surfaces of the upper central incisors and a line connecting the distal
margins of the upper deciduous second molars. Mandibular dental arch
measurements. e: Intercanine width: Distance between cusp tips of the
lower deciduous canines. f: First intermolar width: Distance between the
mesiolingual cusps or centers of the corresponding facets of the lower
deciduous first molars. g: Second intermolar width: Distance between the
mesiolingual cusps or centers of the corresponding facets of the lower
deciduous second molars. h: Upper dental arch width: Distance between a
line at a tangent to the labial surfaces of the lower central incisors and a
line connecting the distal margins of the lower deciduous second molars.





We believe that the stated linear measurement h was intended to measure the lower dental arch width, which in the original
article was quoted as h: Upper dental arch width. Since, the figure legend is the only source of describing the measurements
and it can affect the corresponding results, the correction should be noted.


Muhammad Khursheed Alam, BDS. PhD.
Consultant Orthodontist,
Department of Orthodontics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
Phone: 0060142926987 email: dralam@gmail.com

Anas Imran Arshad, BDS.
Research Student
Department of Orthodontics, Universiti Sains Malaysia
Phone: 00601123115152 email: anas.i@live.com


References
Heliovaara, A., J. Leikola and J. Rautio (2014). "Anterior crossbite, dental arch dimensions, and later need for orthognathic
surgery in 6-year-old children with unilateral cleft lip and palate." Cleft Palate Craniofac J 51(5): 579-584.