Felipe Soto; Erita Cordero & José Tomás Fernández
Summary
Cleft Lip and Palate (CLP) belong to a group of congenital anomalies that require complex surgical management, in order to restore the normal function of the stomatognathic system. However, there is no consensus that determines which surgical technique is better according to its outcomes and longterm effects on the skeletal and functional development of treated individuals. The objectives of this study are To describe, using the available scientific information, the effect of the different surgical protocols regarding CLP closure, on the skeletal and functional development patients undergoing surgery. A research of the available information was made in three different databases: PubMed, Cochrane and Epistemonikos. This research included articles released since the year 2013 onwards. A total of 999 studies were found. Once exclusion and inclusion criteria were applied, 13 studies were selected. Surgical treatment of CLP consists of complex procedures which imply long-term skeletal alterations in undergoing patients. These skeletal discrepancies are first detected during the mixed dentition phase. It is recommended to extend patient follow-up up until puberty and adulthood, as it might demonstrate significant differences among the different surgical approaches.
KEY WORDS: cleft lip and palate closure, skeletal growth, narrative review.
How to cite this article
SOTO, F.; CORDERO, E. & FERNÁNDEZ, J. T. Effects of surgical cleft lip and palate closure techniques on skeletal growth and development: A narrative review. Int. J. Odontostomat., 18(2):200-205, 2024.