Anthropometric Analysis of the Dental Arches of Five-Year-Old Children With Cleft Lip and Palate.

This study aimed to analyze the dimensional alterations of the dental arches of 5-year-old children with cleft lip and palate and to compare these dimensions with children without oral clefts. One hundred twenty children were divided into the following groups: unilateral cleft lip (UCL), unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP), cleft palate (CP), and control (C). A specific software was used to digitize the dental casts and perform the anthropometric analyses through the measurement of transversal linear intercanine and intermolar distances on the maxilla and mandible. The intergroup comparisons of the maxillary dimensions exhibited that the intercanine distances of groups C and UCL were statistically greater than that of groups UCLP and CP. The intermolar distance was significantly smaller in group UCLP than in the other groups. No statistically significant difference occurred in the mandibular intercanine and intermolar distance among groups. The analysis of the superposition of the maxillary over the mandibular transversal distances showed statistically significant differences among groups. This study showed that at 5-year old, the children with cleft involving the palate had more maxillary dimensional alterations than those without cleft palate.

Oral health-related quality of life of children with oral clefts and their families.

Oral health problems can influence people's Quality of Life (QoL) because of pain, discomfort, limitations, and other esthetics problems, affecting their social life, feeding, daily activities, and the individual's well-being. To compare oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of children with and without oral clefts and their families. 121 children aged from 2 to 6 years, from both sexes, enrolled in the treatment routine of the Pediatric Dentistry Clinics of a Dental School and a Hospital for Cleft Treatment were divided into two groups: Group 1 - children with cleft lip and palate; Group 2 - children without cleft lip and palate. The OHRQoL was assessed using the validated Portuguese version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (B-ECOHIS). The questionnaire was answered individually, only once, at a private place. Mann-Whitney U test was used to verify differences between groups. Spearman's Rho test was used to associate sex and age with quality of life. The level of significance was set at 5% (p<0.05). According to the parents' perception on the OHRQoL of children with and without cleft lip and palate, oral health of children with oral clefts (Group 1) had a statistically significant impact on OHRQoL. The correlation of sex with impact on OHRQoL did not show statistically significant differences. On the other hand, the higher the age the higher the impact on QoL. The group comparison revealed that the cleft lip and palate negatively impacted on OHRQoL of 2 to 6-year-old children and their parents.

Oral health-related quality of life of children with oral clefts and their families

Abstract Oral health problems can influence people's Quality of Life (QoL) because of pain, discomfort, limitations, and other esthetics problems, affecting their social life, feeding, daily activities, and the individual's well-being. Objective: To compare oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of children with and without oral clefts and their families. Materials and Methods: 121 children aged from 2 to 6 years, from both sexes, enrolled in the treatment routine of the Pediatric Dentistry Clinics of a Dental School and a Hospital for Cleft Treatment were divided into two groups: Group 1 - children with cleft lip and palate; Group 2 - children without cleft lip and palate. The OHRQoL was assessed using the validated Portuguese version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (B-ECOHIS). The questionnaire was answered individually, only once, at a private place. Mann-Whitney U test was used to verify differences between groups. Spearman's Rho test was used to associate sex and age with quality of life. The level of significance was set at 5% (p<0.05). Results: According to the parents' perception on the OHRQoL of children with and without cleft lip and palate, oral health of children with oral clefts (Group 1) had a statistically significant impact on OHRQoL. The correlation of sex with impact on OHRQoL did not show statistically significant differences. On the other hand, the higher the age the higher the impact on QoL. Conclusions: The group comparison revealed that the cleft lip and palate negatively impacted on OHRQoL of 2 to 6-year-old children and their parents.