A scoping review of outcomes related to orthodontic treatment measured in cleft lip and palate

Orthodontic Status and Association with Oral-Health-Related Quality of Life-A Study of 16-Year-Old Norwegians with a Cleft Lip and Palate

OBJECTIVE

To assess the association between clinical orthodontic indicators and oral-health-related quality of life, adjusted for socio-demographic factors, focusing on 16-year-old patients with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P).

PARTICIPANTS

One hundred and twenty-two patients with CL/P, representing cleft-lip (CL), cleft-palate (CP), unilateral/bilateral cleft-lip-palate (UCLP/BCLP), enrolled in the national CLP-Team, Bergen, Norway.

METHOD

A cross-sectional study by two orthodontists assessing the number of teeth, intermaxillary sagittal relation (ANB-angle), dental arch and occlusion of 16-year-old patients with CL/P. All completed a digital questionnaire including self-reported socio-demographic variables, OHIP-14 questionnaire and dental aesthetics. Cross-tabulations with Pearson's Chi-square test were used to identify associations between self-reported OHRQoL and socio-demographic and clinical indicators. Multiple variable analyses were conducted with binary logistic regression analysis using the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) to assess associations between OHRQoL and clinical indicators adjusted for socio-demographic variables. Ethical approval was granted by the regional ethics committee.

RESULTS

Patients with UCLP and BCLP had poorer clinical indicators compared to patients with CL and CP (p < 0.05). A total of 80% of the patients had OHIP-14 > 0. The highest oral impact was reported for psychological domains and articulation and the least for functional domains. Respondents with BCLP and those with poor intermaxillary relationships (ANB < 0°) reported a high impact on OHRQoL (p < 0.05). No statistically significant associations between other clinical indicators and socio-demographic variables such as gender, educational aspiration, and place of residence were reported.

CONCLUSIONS

The study revealed an association between severe cleft diagnosis, missing teeth, misaligned teeth, negative overjet, and poor OHRQoL, but a statistically significant association was found only between OHRQoL and poor intermaxillary sagittal relations (unfavorable profile). To improve OHRQoL among patients with clefts, there is a need for an individual follow-up and prioritization of oral healthcare.

Outcomes used in trials regarding the prevention and treatment of orthodontically induced white spot lesions: A scoping review

INTRODUCTION

The objective was to identify and summarize the outcomes and evaluation methods used in clinical trials regarding the prevention and treatment of orthodontically induced white spot lesions (WSLs).

METHODS

Three electronic databases were searched to identify studies that were (1) clinical trials on prevention and/or treatment of orthodontically induced WSLs, (2) reported in English, and (3) published between January 2010 and October 2019. At least 2 authors assessed the eligibility and extracted the characteristics, outcomes, and evaluation methods from included studies. All disagreements were resolved through discussion.

RESULTS

Among 1328 studies identified, 51 were eligible and included. A total of 48 different outcomes and 11 different evaluation methods were used in these studies. The most frequently used outcomes were WSLs clinical visual examination scores (n = 22, 43.1%), DIAGNOdent values (n = 14; 27.5%), fluorescence loss measured with quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) (n = 10; 19.6%), and lesion area measured with QLF (n = 10; 19.6%). The most frequently used evaluation methods were clinical examination (n = 25; 49.0%), visual inspection by photographs (n = 15; 29.4%), DIAGNOdent (n = 14; 27.5%), and QLF (n = 10; 19.6%). None of the included studies reported data on quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS

Substantial outcome heterogeneity exists among studies regarding the prevention and treatment of orthodontically induced WSLs. Most of the identified outcomes are aimed to assess morphologic changes of WSLs and may not reflect patient perspectives.

REGISTRATION

The Core Outcome Set for trials on the prevention and treatment of enamel White Spot Lesions (COS-WSL) project was registered in the COMET Initiative database (No. 1399).

Occlusal Outcome of Orthodontic Treatment for Patients With Complete Cleft Lip and Palate

AIM

To assess occlusal outcomes of orthodontic treatment for patients with complete cleft lip and palate.

DESIGN

Retrospective assessment using the Peer Assessment Rating (PAR) index.

SETTING

Consecutive patients treated by one consultant orthodontist at a tertiary care cleft center.

PARTICIPANTS

One hundred twenty-seven patients with either complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) or bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) consecutively treated with fixed appliances.

INTERVENTION

Fixed orthodontic appliance treatment and orthognathic surgery when required.

OUTCOMES

The PAR index assessment was carried out by a calibrated-independent assessor. Treatment duration, the number of patient visits, and data on dental anomalies were drawn from patient records and radiographs.

RESULTS

One hundred two patients' study models were assessed after exclusions. Mean start PAR score for UCLP (n = 71) was 43.9 (95% CI, 41.2-46.6, SD 11.5), with a mean score reduction of 84.3% (95% CI, 81.9-86.7, SD 10.1). The UCLP mean treatment time was 23.7 months with 20.1 appointments. Mean start PAR score for BCLP (n = 31) was 43.4 (95% CI, 39.2-47.6, SD 11.4), with a mean score reduction of 80.9% (95% CI, 76.3-85.5, SD 12.5). The BCLP mean treatment time was 27.8 months with 20.5 appointments.

CONCLUSION

These results compare well with other outcome reports, including those for patients without a cleft, and reflect the standard of care provided by an experienced cleft orthodontist. As with high-volume surgeons, orthodontic treatment for this high need group is favorable when provided by a high-volume orthodontist. These findings may be used for comparative audit with similar units providing cleft care.

CLEFT-Q: Detecting Differences in Outcomes among 2434 Patients with Varying Cleft Types

BACKGROUND

Measuring the patient perspective is important in evaluating outcomes of cleft care. Understanding how treatment outcomes vary depending on cleft type may allow for better planning of treatments, setting of expectations, and more accurate benchmarking efforts. The CLEFT-Q is a patient-reported outcome measure for patients with cleft lip and/or palate.

METHODS

The 12 CLEFT-Q scales measuring appearance (i.e., face, nose, nostrils, lips, cleft lip scar, teeth, and jaws), function (i.e., speech), and health-related quality of life (i.e., psychological, school, social, and speech-related distress) were field tested in a cross-sectional study in 30 centers in 12 countries. Patients with cleft lip and/or cleft palate aged 8 to 29 years were recruited from clinical settings. Differences in CLEFT-Q scores by cleft subtypes were evaluated using one-way analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis H tests, with Tukey or Dunn procedure with Bonferroni corrections post hoc analyses, respectively. Scores are presented using radar charts to visualize all outcomes simultaneously.

RESULTS

The field test included 2434 patients. Scores on all CLEFT-Q scales varied significantly with cleft subtype. Patients with unilateral or bilateral cleft lip and/or palate scored lower on all appearance scales compared with patients with cleft palate or unilateral incomplete cleft lip. Scores on the speech function and speech-related distress scales decreased with each progressive group in the Veau classification. Patients with complete bilateral cleft lip and palate scored lowest on the social, school, and psychological scales.

CONCLUSIONS

Patient-reported outcomes measured with the CLEFT-Q vary significantly with cleft type. Visualizing multiple outcomes simultaneously with radar charts allows for an understanding of a patient's overall status in a single graph.

Surgery-first orthognathic approach: A “scoping review” for mapping outcomes and plausible recommendations to develop core outcome sets

Aims and Objectives

The aim of this scoping review was to identify the type of outcomes measured in surgery- first orthognathic approach (SFOA). The objectives were to classify the outcomes into predetermined domains and explore the degree of representation of each domain. Furthermore, to identify which domains are over- or under-represented and determine whether the findings of this scoping review could be employed to provide a template for core outcome sets (COS). Five outcomes were identified, and all the research pertinent to SFOA were assigned to these outcomes.

Materials and Methods

Electronic databases and additional records were searched from January 2009 to March 2019 to source the data, and 525 records were identified.

Results

The initial database and additional search resulted in 525 records, of which 54 potentially relevant articles were retrieved in full. 35 studies met the selection criteria following screening and were included in the scoping review with the results of the search depicted in the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Domains such as morphological features or changes in maxillofacial skeleton and occlusion (n = 25, 71.42%) and psychosocial well-being including quality of life outcome (n = 8, 22.85%) were well represented while functional status (n = 1, 2.85%), health resource utilization (n = 0), and adverse effects (n = 1, 2.85 %) were under-represented.

Conclusions

Limited research on SFOA precludes development of COS. However, future SFOA clinical trials should consider underrepresented outcome domains to address the SFOA treatment modality comprehensively.