Background:Midface symmetry is an important indicator of success of complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (CUCLP) treatment. There is little literature on the long-term effects of presurgical nasoalveolar molding (PNAM) on midface symmetry in children treated for CUCLP. This study aimed to compare children with CUCLP who underwent PNAM before surgical interventions, children who did not receive PNAM, and age- and sex-matched controls in terms of midface symmetry.Methods:We evaluated 39 frontal facial photographs of 13 patients with CUCLP who underwent PNAM as part of the treatment (group 1: PNAM), 13 patient with CUCLP who did not undergo PNAM (group 2: no nasoalveolar molding), and 13 age- and sex-matched controls. The children were evaluated in their fifth year of life. Three midline and 3 bilateral orthopometric midface landmarks were programmed using a custom software (OnyxCeph3, Image Instruments GmbH, Germany), and corresponding linear measurements from the midline were obtained and compared between the groups using 1-way analysis of variance and Scheffe’s post hoc test.Results:Significant differences were observed between the control and CUCLP groups for the measurements of the proanasale, subnasale, and zygion. However, there were no significant differences between the PNAM and no nasoalveolar molding groups for the 6 midface landmarks.Conclusions:PNAM does not seem to significantly impact the long-term midface symmetry in children with CUCLP.

Aim The present study aimed to calculate the birth prevalence of orofacial cleft patients in King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) Tertiary Care Hospital in Riyadh City, KSA. Material and methods The data utilized in this retrospective study were obtained from the birth data registry at the hospital covering the period between January 2014 and December 2018. The data collected for the orofacial cleft patients pertained to the birth year, type of cleft, gender, and associated syndromes. Results The total number of documented orofacial cleft cases born between 2014 and 2018 was 78, with a birth prevalence of 1.8 per 1000 live births and no gender bias. Cleft palate (CP) represented the most common type at 38.5% (n = 30), followed by cleft lip at 26.9% (n = 21) and unilateral cleft lip and palate at 24% (n = 19). The least common type was facial cleft, at 3.4% (n = 6). Syndrome association was seen in 15.4% (n = 12) of the cases. Conclusion The birth prevalence of orofacial clefts in KAMC Riyadh city is in accordance with the worldwide ratio and similar to the birth prevalence reported in the Middle East area. CP showed more prevalence than the other orofacial cleft types, and the association with syndromes was significantly low.

Aim:The study aimed to examine the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of children with cleft lip and palate who were treated with presurgical nasoalveolar molding (PNAM) and to compare the results to age-and gender-matched controls without cleft lip and palate. Materials and methods: Parents of 51 children with cleft lip and palate who were treated with PNAM were administered a validated Arabic version of the short-form child oral health impact profile (COHIP-SF) and were asked to rate their experience with PNAM. The children with treated cleft lip and palate (study group) were age-and gender-matched to children with no cleft lip and palate (control group). The differences in COHIP-SF domains were compared between groups using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The children in the test group had significantly higher COHIP-SF scores than in the test group (p < 0.001). However, there were no significant differences in the oral health (p = 0.532) or the oral function (0.232) domains. There were, however, significant differences in the socioemotional domain (p < 0.001). Most of the parents (86%) of children with cleft lip or palate felt that they would recommend PNAM to other parents. Conclusion: While there are no differences in the oral health and functional domains of OHRQoL, children with cleft lip and palate treated with PNAM have significantly lower scores in the socioemotional domain of OHRQoL when compared to age-and gender-matched controls. Clinical significance: Presurgical nasoalveolar molding does not have any negative impact on the OHRQoL of children with cleft lip and palate. Keywords: Cleft lip and palate, Oral health-related quality of life, Presurgical nasoalveolar molding.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on children's oral health and caregiver's attitude towards teledentistry. Material and method: A questionnaire was distributed to 583 caregivers of children aged between 3 and 10 years through electronic messages, which consisted of nine multiple choice questions divided into three parts. The first part included demographic data (age, gender, and educational level); the second part addressed the assessment of oral health of children by their caregivers during the lockdown, the reason and influence of the pandemic on the oral health of children; and the third part was related to caregiver's attitude towards healthcare system and teledentistry. Pearson's Chi-square test and Fisher's Exact test were used for analysis using SPSS (version 21.0). Result: Around 93.5% of caregivers were not satisfied with their child's oral health. Approximately 91.5% of caregivers agree that the coronavirus pandemic has negatively affected their child's oral health. Most of them think that alteration in sleep patterns is the main reason. Ninety-three percent of caregivers have been reported to utilize teledentistry during the pandemic period, but 53.2% did not know whether teledentistry could solve their child's oral healthcare problems. About 7% disagree that teledentistry can be helpful for the oral healthcare needs of children. Conclusion:Coronavirus disease has a negative impact on children's oral health. There is a need to increase awareness about teledentistry among caregivers in Kuwait.