Use of Virtual 3D-Model for the Assessment of Premaxilla Position in 3-4-Year-Olds with Complete Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate – A Pilot Study

Abstract

This paper considers the results of virtual three-dimensional (3D) model use for the assessment of premaxilla position in 3-4-year-olds with complete bilateral cleft lip and palate (CBCLP) after primary cleft lip and palate repair. The use of 3D models allows measuring premaxilla size, protrusion and deviation. On the basis of measuring 3D full-arch jaw models before and after orthodontic treatment we distinguished 3 degrees of premaxilla deviation which may be useful for treatment planning and the prognosis of treatment outcomes. The children and their parents had good compliance with the use of intraoral scanning. Reviewing the literature we found the use of this method in newborns with clefts in order to manufacture a plate for pre-surgical orthopedics. However, we did not find any data of using this method to evaluate the result of surgical treatment in children with protruding premaxilla to determine the next stage of complex treatment. Compared to traditional cast and plastic model measuring, digital technology has many advantages: it is friendlier for children, more simple, needs less time and no materials for dental casts and plastic models, no storage space. There are no significant differences between manual and digital measuring of jaw models. Intraoral scanning and virtual 3D models may be successfully used for the assessment of premaxilla position in young children with CBCLP, which allows to asses surgical results and to choose the kind of orthodontic treatment.