Assessment of various psychological factors of cleft lip and/or palate patients measured during orthodontic treatment: a hospital based questionnaire study

Abstract

Patients with a cleft are often dissatisfied with their physical appearance, especially their faces. This affects their psychosocial development and self – perception. Besides, such patients suffer from speech, hearing, masticatory difficulties and others. Correction of cleft encompasses not only the correction of malocclusion and other cleft deformitiesbut also the psychological and physical attributes associated with it. Dental surgeons and orthodontists are deeply involved in creating the entire dentofacial complex and the patient as a whole, not just the dentition. Since multi-specialty care currently focuses primarily on physical well-being while neglecting the psychological issues of care.This current study was carried out to shed some light on the social difficulties, like anxiety, depression, self-esteem, a cleft patient is going through.