Prosthodontic Rehabilitation Alternative of Patients with Cleft Lip and Palate (CLP): Two Cases Report

Although patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP) are not seen regularly in general dental practice, this is a frequent congenital anomaly; approximately one in every 800 live births results in a CLP. The cause of CLP is unknown, but possible causes are malnutrition and irradiation during pregnancy, psychological stress, teratogenic agents, infectious agents (viruses), and inheritance. Most clefts are likely caused by multiple genetic and nongenetic factors. Prosthetic reconstruction of the anterior maxilla is important for these patients. This paper describes the prosthetic rehabilitation of two patients with CLP, 19-year-old and 21-year-old women, both with surgically treated CLP. In both, an examination revealed a residual palatal defect of 2 × 3 mm and missing maxillary lateral incisors. The 19-year-old was treated with a fiber-reinforced composite resin-bonded fixed partial denture. The 21-year-old was treated with a removable partial denture with an extracoronal attachment system. The prosthetic rehabilitation of the two patients with CLP was evaluated clinically. In both, well-planned prosthetic, periodontal, and surgical therapy resulted in satisfactory function and esthetics, alleviating their deformities. With education and appropriate recall, the patients should be able to maintain their oral health

Scanning electron microscopy assessment of the load-bearing capacity of cad/cam-fabricated molar crowns

Although fiber-reinforced composites are commonly used in dental practice, whether fiber-reinforced crowns and fixed partial dentures can be used as definitive prostheses remains to be determined. This study used scanning electron microscopy to evaluate the load-bearing capacity of non-reinforced and fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) molar crowns prepared by computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM). The crowns were fabricated from three empirical FRC blocks, one empirical composite block, and one commercial ceramic block. The FRC resin was prepared by mixing BaO silicate particles, E-glass fiber, and dimethacrylate resin. Specimens were divided into five groups (n = 10), differing in the amounts of filler, resin, and fiber. Crowns were statically loaded until fracture. One-way analysis of variance and Tukey’s post hoc multiple comparison tests were used for statistical analyses. The groups showed significant differences in load-bearing capacity; empirical bidirectional FRC resin blocks had the highest capacity, while commercial ceramic blocks had the lowest capacity. Molar crowns formed from FRC resin blocks had higher load-bearing capacity compared to non-reinforced composite resin and ceramic blocks. These results show that fiber reinforcement increased the load-bearing capacity of molar crowns</p