ABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to determine the levels of patient-satisfaction on facial and dental appearance compared with clinician ratings. Participants included 61 patients with repaired unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP), aged 14-25 years. Raters comprised three cleft team clinicians. A Likert scale was used to assess the levels of satisfaction of the patients themselves and the clinicians. The results revealed that the patients were moderately satisfied with their appearance. Nose was the least satisfactory feature, followed by lip appearance. When compared to the clinician ratings, the patients were less satisfied with their own nose and lip, but more satisfied with teeth. Concerning age, self-assessment did not differ between adolescents and young adults. Females were less likely to be satisfied compared to males, but the difference was not statistically significant. In conclusion, patients with repaired UCLP were moderately satisfied with their facial and dental appearance. Clinician- and patient-opinions were different in some aspects. This study highlights the importance of patient satisfaction as a meaningful treatment outcome assessment, which could lead to an improvement in cleft care to meet the patient expectations.
