Clinical utility of cone-beam computed tomography in patients with cleft lip palate: Current perspectives and guidelines

Abstract

The aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of the application of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in individuals with cleft lip and palate (CLP). A literature search was conducted from September 2016 to December 2017 in Medline, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and Ebscohost databases using keywords “CBCT, cleft lip and palate.” The inclusion criterion was any published original article where CBCT was used to assess the craniofacial structures in patients with CLP. An additional Google and manual search was carried out by examining the references of the included articles. All retrieved relevant articles (69 original articles) were tabulated under different sections and analyzed. Data were tabulated as follows – CBCT in the assessment of craniofacial structures in CLP, first author, year of publication, study design, characteristics of the study population and number of participants, age/gender distribution, and conclusions of the studies which are also described in the narrated review. Apart from this, the search also included guidelines for the application of CBCT in patients with CLP. This article gives the cleft team a compilation of all recent literature regarding the use of CBCT in patients with CLP, which helps in providing better care for patients with CLP, keeping in mind the various guidelines issued by different professional bodies regulating the welfare of patients.

Keywords

• cone-beam computed tomography
• cone-beam computed tomographic guidelines
• diagnosis and treatment planning
• patients with cleft lip palate