Enhanced antimicrobial efficacy of chlorhexidine-encapsulated halloysite nanotubes incorporated in presurgical orthopedic appliances: an in vitro, controlled study.

Aims And Objective: Presurgical infant's orthopedic appliances (PSIOs) play an increasingly crucial role in the interdisciplinary management of neonatal CLP, aiming to improve and maintain adequate nasolabial aesthetics, followed by primary lip/nasal surgery in both unilateral and bilateral CLP cases. The use of PSIOs in cleft lip and palate patients can lead to contamination with oral microflora, acting as a potential reservoir for infectious microorganisms. Acrylic surfaces might provide retention niches for microorganisms to adhere, and inhabit, which is difficult to control in immunocompromised patients, thus predisposing them to increased infection risks.