Esthetic and functional oral makeover of a 3 year old cleft palate patient suffering from early childhood caries using unconventional techniques

摘要

Cleft lip and palate (CL/P) are the most common congenital craniofacial anomalies. It has been observed that thesechildren have a higher caries experience compared their non cleft counterparts. Early childhood caries results inearly pulp involvement and gross destruction of the anterior and posterior teeth. This leads to decreased masticatoryefficiency, difficulty in speech, compromised esthetics, development of abnormal tongue habits and subsequentmalocclusion and psychological problems. The restoration of severely decayed deciduous teeth especially anteriorspresents a special challenge to dentists, particularly in uncooperative children. The following case report documentsthe restoration of severely mutilated deciduous teeth in an emotionally immature cleft palate patient resultingin an improvement in not only oral and general health but also helping the patient gain more self confidence.