Dental treatment of a child with oral cleft: a case report

Abstract

The cleft lip and palate are the most common facialcongenital malformations, developing in the early embryonic stagesbetween the fourth and eighth week of intrauterine life. Objective:To present the dental treatment of a child with cleft lip and palateunder general anesthesia. Case report: Patient, aged four years,with cleft lip and palate, living in an indigenous village in the cityof Vilhena, Rondônia, Brazil, with poor hygienic conditions and withdental caries, needed dental treatment under general anesthesia. Theclinical examination revealed that the child had impaired generalhealth by the presence of several wounds in the feet and nails,low weight, and many carious lesions. Discussion: In addition toparents’ instructions and monitoring of multidisciplinary team, it isimportant to know the life of the patients with oral cleft, to target themost appropriate treatment to be successful in their rehabilitationprocess. Conclusion: Children with cleft lip and palate can havetheir quality of life improved through adequate care.