Maxillary Arch Dimensions in 6-Year-Old Cleft Children in Northern Finland: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The aim was to cross-sectionally examine the maxillary arch dimensions in 6-year-old children with cleft lip and/or palate and to compare them with the initial cleft sizes among patients with cleft palate. The study included 89 patients with clefts treated at the Oulu University Hospital. The subjects were divided into three groups: cleft palate, cleft lip, and cleft lip and palate. Study casts were scanned, and the maxillary arch dimensions were examined using a 3D program (3Shape Orthoanalyzer, Copenhagen, Denmark). The statistical methods Student's t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to compare the means (SD) between the groups. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to determine the correlation between cleft severity and maxillary dimensions. A significant difference was found between different initial cleft sizes in terms of distance between the second deciduous molar and the first incisor on the right side. The intermolar width showed a negative correlation with the initial cleft size. The dimensions were shorter for clefts affecting the palate and largest for clefts affecting only the lip. Larger clefts resulted in a shorter maxilla on the right side. Many dimensions became shorter when the initial cleft was larger. Clefts of the palate resulted in smaller maxillas.

Dental fear among adolescents with cleft.

BACKGROUND: Dental fear is a prevalent phenomenon among children and adolescents globally. AIM: To investigate dental fear among 18-year-olds with cleft lip and/or palate (CLP) at their final follow-up cleft clinic visit, and to evaluate the association between dental fear and OHRQoL. DESIGN: This cross-sectional study included the cohort of children with CLP treated at the Oulu University Hospital Cleft Lip and Palate Center, in northern Finland since 1995. A total of 62 of 64 individuals participated in this study. The validated Finnish version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) was used to assess OHRQoL. Dental fear was studied using the validated Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) and cognitive vulnerability model (CVM). RESULTS: Almost two fifths of the participants reported moderate dental fear. Participants with cleft including lip and participants reporting impact on OHRQoL reported higher mean MDAS scores. In an unadjusted model, adolescents with cleft including lip had risk for higher dental MDAS scores compared with the ones with cleft including only palate. CONCLUSIONS: Dental fear is common among adolescents with CLP, specifically among those with clefts involving the lip. OHRQoL and dental fear seem to be associated.

Oral health-related quality of life among young adults with cleft in northern Finland.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine Oral Health-related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) among patients with cleft lip with or without palate (CLP) at their final scheduled follow-up visit at the age of 18 years. Another aim was to investigate the motivation to attend multiple follow-up appointments and the satisfaction with care given by the cleft team using inductive qualitative analysis. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among the cohort of children born with CLP who had undergone treatment at the Oulu University Hospital Cleft Lip and Palate Centre, in northern Finland since 1995. OHRQoL was assessed using the validated Finnish version of the short form of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). In addition to the OHIP-14, two open-ended questions were also included. These questions investigated the experience of each participant concerning their motivation to attend the Oulu University Hospital Cleft Lip and Palate Centre to receive complex treatments, and their satisfaction with care provided by the cleft team. Results were presented as proportions, means, and SD. Inductive content analysis method was performed for analysis of the open-ended questions. RESULTS: A total of 63 patients with CLP participated in this study. More than half of the participants had cleft palate. More than half of the participants reported an impact on OHRQoL (OHIP-14 score ≥ 3). All the participants with bilateral cleft lip and palate, three fourths of the participants with unilateral cleft lip and palate, and half of the participants with cleft palate reported impact on OHRQoL. Inductive content analysis showed that one fourth of the participants reported a good outcome as a motivation to attend cleft center despite of complex procedures. All the participants reported their appreciation of the cleft team. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the comprehensive treatment received by the patients born with a CLP, they still experienced lower OHRQoL, especially physical pain and psychological discomfort were more pronounced. However, good outcome, support, and oral health care being a normal routine were the motivating factors to attend a long and demanding oral health care regimen.