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This paper emphasizes the important role that secondary bone grafting plays on the treatment of patients with alveolar clefts. The authors present a literature review and, based on panoramic radiographs, retrospectively and longitudinally analyze the behavior of permanent canines after completion of secondary bone grafting in 50 patients at the Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies, University of São Paulo, Brazil. Twelve patients with unilateral cleft lip and alveolus and 38 patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (n = 50) had undergone bone grafts to repair their residual alveolar clefts before the eruption of their permanent canines. These patients were observed over an average period of 3 years. In 94% of the sample (47 patients), the permanent canines presented intra-alveolar movement toward the oral cavity. In 72% of those 47 patients (36 patients), the permanent canines spontaneously erupted through the grafted area. In 6% of the 47 patients (3 patients), the permanent canines required orthodontic traction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]