Impact of Quality of Life on Oral Health in Brazilian Young People with and without Cleft Lip/Palate

ABSTRACT

Objective:  To identify the most common clefts in patients at a craniofacial deformity rehabilitation center, to evaluate the impact on oral health-related quality of life in different cleft types, and to compare it between children and adolescents with cleft lip and palate (CL/P) and a control group without clefts.

Material and Methods:  A quantitative cross-sectional design was used, involving 150 patients with CL/P from the center and 150 individuals in the control group from a public school, all aged between 8 and 18 years old. Data were collected using the Child Oral Health Impact Profile (COHIP) questionnaire and information on the orofacial cleft type. Bivariate analyses (Pearson's chi-squared test) examined the relationship between cleft types and COHIP domains and between the two groups, with a significance level of α=5%.

Results:  Cleft lip and palate were the most prevalent (61.3%). However, there was no significant difference in oral health-related quality of life between cleft types (p>0.05). General oral quality of life scores did not differ between the groups, but the control group showed higher scores in the 'functional well-being' and 'personal image' domains.

Conclusion:  There are no differences in the impact of oral health-related quality of life between children and young people with cleft lip and palate and the control group.

Keywords:
Cleft Lip; Cleft Palate; Quality of Life; Oral Health