Clinical application of customized presurgical nasoalveolar molding for the treatment of unilateral complete cleft lip and alveolus: Case report

Abstract

Cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) are the most common craniofacial malformations in humans. The lip, alveolar ridge, palate and nose are areas frequently affected in people with this type of anomaly. Generally, there are also negative psychosocial impacts in children with these malformations. Moreover, a son with CL/P can become an emotional trauma to their parents. Multiple surgeries and other therapies are required for the treatment of most cases. During the first three months of life the surgical treatment of CL/P usually involves infant orthopaedics, such as presurgical nasoalveolar molding (PNAM), primary cleft lip repair and primary rhinoplasty. PNAM is a nonsurgical method, which has been used by many craniofacial centers. However, few reports concerning the customized use of PNAM for the treatment of complete cleft lip and alveolus have been described in the literature. In addition, the treatment success through this method has been a controversial subject. In this paper, we present the case of a newborn with unilateral complete cleft lip and alveolus treated with customized PNAM, based on the experience of the Tamil Nadu Government Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, India.