Nalabothu Prasad, Benitez Benito K, de Macedo Santos José Wittor, Mueller Andreas A
From the Oral and Craniomaxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Facial and Cranial Anomalies Research, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Clinical Research, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2025 May 29;13(5):e6741. doi: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000006741. eCollection 2025 May.
The traditional method of capturing cleft lip and palate morphology using dental impressions and plaster casts has long been considered the gold standard. However, especially for infants, digital impressions have proven to be accurate and safe. We present a protocol successfully adopted by 2 cleft centers that utilize intraoral scanners for cleft care in an outpatient setting, as well as in the operating theater. We demonstrate the positioning of the patient, scanner, monitor, and clinician, along with technical steps to capture a digital impression of the lip, nose, and cleft palate within approximately 1 minute. We also show how digital impressions can improve documentation, allow digital pretreatment, and be used for outcome comparison. The illustrated description is accompanied by a step-by-step video. Digital impressions provide enhanced 3-dimensional reconstructions of the complete cleft anatomy, which are beneficial for presurgical orthopedic planning, anatomical studies, and long-term treatment documentation. This approach minimizes risks such as airway obstruction and storage challenges encountered with physical models. Its adoption in cleft centers represents a significant advancement in cleft care, facilitating more accurate records and improving patient safety. Digital impressions can set a new standard in cleft care, improving record-taking for clinical needs and outcome analysis, and replacing traditional methods.
长期以来，使用牙印模和石膏模型来获取唇腭裂形态的传统方法一直被视为金标准。然而，事实证明，尤其是对于婴儿来说，数字印模既准确又安全。我们展示了两个腭裂治疗中心成功采用的一种方案，该方案在门诊环境以及手术室中利用口腔内扫描仪进行腭裂护理。我们展示了患者、扫描仪、显示器和临床医生的定位，以及在大约1分钟内获取嘴唇、鼻子和腭裂数字印模的技术步骤。我们还展示了数字印模如何改善记录、实现数字化预处理以及用于结果比较。配有分步视频对图示说明进行补充。数字印模提供了完整腭裂解剖结构的增强三维重建，这有利于术前整形外科规划、解剖学研究和长期治疗记录。这种方法将诸如气道阻塞和实体模型所面临的存储挑战等风险降至最低。在腭裂治疗中心采用这种方法代表了腭裂护理方面的重大进步，有助于获得更准确的记录并提高患者安全性。数字印模可为腭裂护理设定新标准，改善临床需求记录和结果分析，并取代传统方法。
