Single Visit Feeding Appliance for 1‑day‑old Neonate with Cleft Palate Using Safe Dental Putty‑Gauze Hybrid Impression Technique for Maxillary Impression

Abstract

Cleft lip and palate is one of the most common craniofacial anomalies of humans. Intraoral impression making is the first clinical step in the fabrication of feeding appliance for infants with oro‑nasal communication. It is difficult to control the flow of the impression material in the cleft area and undercuts in a child patient. This clinical report presents a simple and safe impression technique for maxillary impression making in neonates and infants with cleft palate. A gauze piece was used to confine the impression material during functional movements of sucking while impression making in an awake child to avoid the risk of aspiration or swallowing.

Key words: Cleft palate, feeding plate, maxillary impression, obturator