Intraoral Digital Impression Technique for a Neonate With Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate.

OBJECTIVE

Dental casts are an important aspect in the treatment planning, documentation, and analysis of the dental arch forms of infants with cleft lip and palate (CLP). Impression taking in a neonate is a technique-sensitive procedure, which can result in foreign body dislodgement and carries a small risk of aspiration and airway obstruction. The advent of digital dental technologies and intraoral scanning may facilitate safer, more effective, and accurate impressions for CLP infants.

DESIGN

A digital intraoral scan of a 3-month-old with bilateral CLP (BCLP) was compared with a conventional alginate impression taken prior to primary lip repair.

SETTING

Princess Margaret Hospital for Children.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: To test the applicability and accuracy of digital impression taking for a neonate with BCLP and palate using digital morphometrics.

RESULTS

The average deviation of points ranged above and below the plane of superimposition from +0.78 mm to -0.42 mm with a maximum range of +2.80 mm to -2.80 mm and standard deviation of 0.88 mm. The premaxillary segment showed the greatest degree of variation.

CONCLUSIONS

This is to our knowledge the first report that illustrates the use of a digital impression system to scan the oral structures of a neonate with BCLP. Digital scanning was found to be fast, accurate, and safe, when compared to a conventional alginate impression technique.