Dentistry in the clinical and psychosocial aspects of children with cleft lip and/or palate

Abstract

Introduction. Cleft lip and palate are congenital anomalies of the craniofacial complex, which can affect the structures of the lip and/or palate. They have a multifactorial origin and their repercussions directly influence functional and aesthetic aspects, with potential psychosocial impact throughout growth. Therefore, this work aims to investigate how dentistry can impact the clinical and psychosocial aspects of these patients throughout their growth.Material and methods.This is an integrative review, which used scientific articles in English from the last 6 years as a basis, collected in the following databases: Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Medical Literature Analysis and Retrievel System Online (Medline) and Pubmed, with the DeCS “Cleft lip” OR “Cleft lip”; “Cleft palate” OR “Cleft palate”; “Quality of life” OR “Quality of life”; “Dentistry” OR “Dentistry”.Results and discussions.There is a consensus in the literature regardingthe adversities experienced by children with cleft lip and palate,highlighting the physical and emotional influence of this condition.Oral characteristics affect quality of life (QOL), as these deformities can cause functional problems in the dental arch, breathing, chewing and hearing. The impairment of physical appearance and the difficulty in efficient communication make the individual with cleft lip and palate a possible target of derogatory adjectives in their social group. AThus, studies find improvements in QoL after multidisciplinary treatment, with reconstructive surgeries as the initial milestone in the treatment of this patient, followed by orthodontic treatment throughout growth and orthognathic surgery after this is complete. At the same time, speech therapy and physical therapy enhance the effects of the multiple surgical treatments performed.Conclusions. Dental interventions, such as surgeries and orthodontic treatments, have resulted in significant improvements, highlighting the need for integrated multidisciplinary approaches to promote a better quality of life for these patients.