Cleft maxillary alveolar ridge

What it means

A gap (cleft) affecting one of the alveolar ridges, which are the protuberances in the mouth that contain the sockets (alveoli) of the teeth. An alveolar cleft can affect all structures of the alveolar ridge, including the gingiva, other mucosa, periosteum, alveolar bone, and teeth. Alveolar cleft occurs in response to divergence from normal development during frontonasal prominence growth, contact, and fusion. The most common alveolar portion of the cleft is located between the lateral incisor and the canine.

The palate develops from the frontonasal and maxillary prominences between 4 and 12 weeks of gestation. During gestational weeks 4 to 7, the primary palate originates from the median palatine process, which itself originated from frontonasal prominence. The lip, alveolus, and hard palate anterior to the incisive foramen all share this origin in development. During this period, disruptions of palatal development process can result in primary palate clefting. The secondary palate develops from the lateral palatine processes originating from the maxillary prominences between 7 and 12 weeks, and the hard palate posterior to incisive foramen and the soft palate are developmental products of this process. As such, disruptions during this time will result in secondary palate clefts. The alveolus is a component of the primary palate, and alveolar cleft results from mal-development of the frontonasal prominence. As such, it is most closely related to cleft lip and cleft palate. Generally, alveolar clefts are located between the lateral incisor and canine.

Rare diseases that can present with this1

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Alveolar cleft · Alveolar ridge cleft · Cleft anterior maxilla · Cleft maxillary alveolus · Cleft of alveolar process · Cleft of alveolar ridge of maxilla · Notch of alveolar process · Notch of alveolar ridge