| Summary: | Abstract Children with orofacial clefts have a vast treatment need. Throughout life, they often overcome several physical and psychological cleft-related challenges. The burden of care due to the cleft is significant for the children, their parents, and society. More studies are needed to define cleft-related problems. The physical challenges, such as malocclusions, can be connected to the psychological difficulties that patients with clefts face. The aim of this project was to evaluate the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and dental fear among 18-year-old patients with clefts. The research also aimed to examine the cleft patients’ motivation to attend complex treatments. Another aim was to examine the maxillary arch dimensions in 6-year-old children with clefts and to compare them with the severity of the initial cleft among patients with cleft palate. The study comprised the cohort of children with cleft lip and/or palate (CLP) treated at the Oulu University Hospitals’ Cleft Lip and Palate centre. The study included 63 individuals who had turned 18 years and 89 children who were 6 years old. More than half of the 18-year-old subjects reported an impact on OHRQoL. Physical pain and psychological discomfort were the most reported domains. Good outcome, support from others, and dental care being a normal routine were the motivating factors to attend treatments. Almost 40% of the subjects reported moderate dental fear. Those with a cleft involving the lip experienced lower OHRQoL and more dental fear. Larger initial clefts resulted in shorter maxillas on the right side at 6 years of age. Maxillary growth was reduced among patients with a cleft involving the palate. The dimensions were largest for clefts involving only the lip. Tiivistelmä Halkiolapsilla on suuri hoidontarve. He kohtaavat usein lukuisia sekä fyysisiä että psyykkisiä halkioon liittyviä haasteita elämänsä aikana. Hoidon aiheuttama taakka on merkittävä lapselle itselleen, hänen vanhemmilleen ja yhteiskunnalle. Halkioon liittyvien ...
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