Evaluation of patient and parent satisfaction after orthodontic treatment/orthognathic surgery for cleft lip and palate deformity

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the satisfaction of patients, parents, and individuals other than health professionals (neighbors or relatives), regarding the quality of care, and to evaluate the patients general care, facial appearance, dental changes, and psychological assessment by social outlook and emotional quotient. Materials and Methods: Sixty patients with cleft lip and palate reporting to a dental institution were divided into two age groups, 0-15 years (G1) and 15-30 years (G2), their parents (P1 and P2) and a group comprising their neighbour's or relatives (T1 and T2) were also divided according to G1 and G2. To evaluate their satisfaction toward the treatment received, three separate questionnaires were given to the three groups and their responses were subjected to statistical analysis. Results: The results showed that majority of patients (74%) and their parents (60%) were satisfied with the orthodontic treatment they received to align the teeth. But they were not satisfied with the appearance of lip (61.6% and 56.6%), nose (60% and 53.3%), and speech (62%). This study showed that cleft-affected individuals were teased mainly for speech (60%) followed by lip and teeth. Sixty percent of the patients admitted that their self-confidence was quite affected because of cleft and 36.6% expressed that their school/college results have been affected. Conclusion: Majority of cleft lip and palate patients as well as their parents were satisfied with their child's dental appearance; they were unsatisfied with the appearance of nose, lip, smile, and speech.