Oral health-related quality of life in patients with cleft lip and/or palate or Robin sequence.

Abstract

To compare the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in patients with cleft lip and/or palate or Robin sequence versus ahealthy control group using the Child Oral Health Impact Profile (COHIP-G19). Factors such as age, gender, and cleft type were considered. Over an8-month period, the OHRQoL was surveyed by using the COHIP-G19 questionnaire. Included were patients with acraniofacial disorder (n = 61; average age 11.24years) and ahealthy control group (n = 70, average age 12.63years) for a total of 131 patients (average age 11.99years) from the Department of Orthodontics University Hospital Tübingen, Germany. These were divided into two age groups (6-11years; 12-18years). Statistically, patients with acraniofacial disorder presented asignificantly lower OHRQoL than the control group (p = 0.0055). In the craniofacial disorder group, older patients revealed asignificantly (p = 0.005) lower OHRQoL than the younger patients. Female patients showed in nearly all groups abetter OHRQoL than male patients, but this difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Males with acraniofacial disorder scored significantly lower than males without (p = 0.016); females showed no differences between the groups. Visibility, location, and severity of the craniofacial malformation did not have asignificant influence on the OHRQoL. The occurrence of a craniofacial malformation impacted the OHRQoL especially in older and male affected patients, unrelated to the expression level or localization. An early instruction about oral health, rehabilitation and functional training should be considered in therapy.