Eligibility for publicly funded orthodontic treatment determined by the handicapping labiolingual deviation index.

Introduction: Access to orthodontic care for Medicaid patients has been limited, in part because of orthodontists' reluctance to treat severe malocclusions for low reimbursements. Limited orthodontic treatment in the mixed dentition (phase 1 treatment) has been proposed to address this issue, because the intent of phase 1 treatment is to improve or prevent severe malocclusions. Orthodontists might be more willing to provide shorter, simpler treatment.

Community orthodontists and craniofacial care: results of a Washington state survey.

Background: Little is known about community orthodontists' previous training in, experience with, or receptivity to caring for children with craniofacial disorders.

Objectives: (1) To characterize the current level of participation by Washington state orthodontists in craniofacial care; and (2) to identify factors that promote or impede community orthodontists' involvement in caring for children with craniofacial conditions.

Design: Mail survey.

Do psychosocial variables predict the physical growth of infants with orofacial clefts?

This study sought to determine whether psychosocial variables (parent-infant feeding interactions, infant temperament, maternal social support, family socioeconomic status) are important in predicting the physical growth of infants with orofacial clefts, after controlling for selected medical variables (infant health status, cleft diagnosis, and previous weight). Infant growth (weight-to-height zscores) was tracked for 2 years, and models were developed to predict growth at 3, 12, and 24 months. The authors also examined the growth trajectories of infants with different cleft types: cleft lip and palate (CLP) and cleft palate only (CPO).

Cognitive and psychomotor development of infants with orofacial clefts.

Objective: To compare at ages 3, 12, and 24 months the cognitive and psychomotor development of 29 infants with cleft lip and palate (CLP), 28 infants with cleft palate only (CPO), and a demographically matched comparison (COMP) group of 69 infants; to examine predictors of cognitive status at age 24 months in the cleft group.

Methods: Infants were administered the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID), mother-infant interactions were observed, and medical records were reviewed.

Results: CLP and CPO groups scored lower than the COMP group on the BSID, but did not differ from one another.

Radiographic determination of the position of the maxillary lateral incisor in the cleft alveolus and parameters for assessing its habilitation prospects.

Objective: Develop patient selection criteria and guidelines for the diagnostic work-up for early secondary alveolar bone graft designed to accommodate a lateral incisor in the cleft.

Design: A literature review with clinical examples.

Interventions: For the majority of cleft lip and palate (CLP) patients, the timing of the secondary alveolar bone graft procedure is devised to accommodate the eruption of the maxillary canine.