Impact of Endodontic Treatment on the Quality of Life of Individuals with Cleft Lip and Palate

Background: The root canal treatment can involve of teeth adjacent to the cleft area, either due to caries or for prosthetic purposes. Therefore, endodontic treatment could interfere with quality of life? Aims e Objectives: To assess the impact of endodontic treatment on the quality of life (QoL) and oral health of individuals with cleft lip and/or palate. Material and Methods: Sixty-five individuals meet the criteria, and this is a cross-sectional study. The Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) questionnaire was applied before endodontic treatment; 30-90 days after treatment. More questions were applied: "Was there any improvement in your QoL after endodontic treatment?" The options were "yes"/"no," and mention the reason, in case the answer was negative. Results: OHIP-14 revealed weak impact for functional limitation, physical handicap, social impairment, and disabilities. The questionnaire showed medium impact physical pain and psychological discomfort/disability. The answer to question "Was there any improvement in your QoL after endodontic treatment?" was positive for 94% of respondents. Among the respondents, complete unilateral cleft lip and palate was observed in 28 individuals (43.1%), and 31.6% of teeth submitted to endodontic treatment were adjacent to the cleft area. Vital pulp therapy for prosthetic purposes was predominant (36.7%), and 25 out of the 79 endodontically treated teeth were premolars. Conclusion: The endodontic treatment improved the QoL and oral health of 94% of participants, and the OHIP-14 was effective in assessing the influence of medium impact factors.