Survey of dentists' experience with cleft palate children in Chile.

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to study the experience of dentists with children with palatal clefts seeking treatment in Santiago, Chile.

DESIGN

A 13-item questionnaire was sent to 203 pediatric and general dentists treating children. Of the 141 dentists who voluntarily completed the questionnaire, 118 were selected for this study. These professionals worked in private and public health centers in the Santiago, Chile, metropolitan area.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The results showed that a majority of dentists had treated a low number (1 to 3) of cleft palate children in the previous years, using a combination of preventive-curative and radical treatments. Although a majority reported that there were no differences in the treatment of the cleft and noncleft children, a majority had problems during the course of treatment. The results suggest the need for more current information about the care of cleft children.