Oral health-related quality of life in young adults born with unilateral cleft lip and palate after interdisciplinary treatment: a cross-sectional study with controls.

Background: Outcome studies conducted on patients treated for cleft lip and palate (CLP) typically focus on clinical measures, while significantly fewer investigate patients' subjective perceptions of the long-term outcomes.

Objective: To evaluate oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) as reported by young adults born with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP).

Material: The study sample consisted of 32 consecutive patients (mean age 19.1 years) born with UCLP that had undergone interdisciplinary treatment. This group was compared with two noncleft control groups: one orthodontically treated group (Ortho) (n = 32, mean age 18.7 years) and one nonorthodontically treated group (Control) (n = 31, mean age 18.6 years).

Method: In this cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study, three instruments, the oral health impact profile-14 (OHIP-14), the jaw functional limitation scale-20 (JFLS-20), and the orofacial esthetic scale (OES) were administered during the final routine follow-up visit at 19 years of age.

Results: No significant differences were found in JFLS-20 and OHIP-14 mean summary scores between the UCLP group and the noncleft groups. For OES, the UCLP group differed significantly from the Ortho group (P = 0.042) but not from the Control group.

Conclusion: Young adults born with UCLP treated in an interdisciplinary team reported overall OHRQoL comparable to peers without a cleft and no history of orthodontic treatment. Their self-perceived orofacial appearance was similar to that of noncleft, nonorthodontically treated peers, but rated less favorable compared to noncleft peers who had received orthodontic treatment.