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Open research questions in Cleft Lip and Palate Research

90 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,914 Cleft Lip and Palate Research papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Purpose: Patient electronic communication (PEC) supports patient engagement and continuity of care but remains understudied in pediatric cleft lip and/or palate (CLP).

    From Repair to Reply: Characterizing Utilization Patterns and Timing of Patient Electronic Communication in Cleft Care · 2026 · DOI

  • Background: Patients with cleft lip and/or palate often develop maxillary hypoplasia and Class III malocclusion, and a subset requires surgical maxillary advancement via distraction when orthodontic compensation is insufficient and the maxillary retrusion exceeds the limit of a standard Le Fort I advancement.

    Treatment Burden and Premature Consolidation in Rigid External Distraction for Maxillary Advancement: A Single-Institution Cohort Review · 2026 · DOI

  • Within the limitations of the present study: The TMJ structures of healthy individuals and patients with UCLP were not exactly the same.

    Temporomandibular joint morphology in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate · 2026 · DOI

  • Although the issue has not been clarified in a recent systematic review,17 the inclination of the AE might be a predisposing factor for disc displacement with reduction of TMJ.

    Temporomandibular joint morphology in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate · 2026 · DOI

  • Methionine Synthase (MTR) rs1805087 A2756G and Methylenetetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase, Cyclohydrolase, and Formyltetrahydrofolate Synthetase 1 (MTHFD1) rs2236225 G1958A are two genes suspected of being risk factors for NS CLP and NS CP, but they have not been studied in the Indonesian population.

    Analysis of MTR rs1805087 A2756G in non-syndromic cleft lip and palate and MTHFD1 rs2236225 G1958A in non-syndromic cleft palate among Indonesian Deutero-Malay population · 2026 · DOI

  • Purpose: American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children are disproportionately affected by orofacial clefts, yet access to comprehensive cleft and craniofacial care has not been systematically quantified.

    Mapping Disparities In Access To Cleft And Craniofacial Care For American Indian And Alaska Native Populations · 2026 · DOI

  • Several limitations should be considered when interpret- ing these findings. As a narrative review, the synthesis is inherently subject to selection and interpretation bias and does not include a formal risk-of-bias assessment. No validated risk-of-bias tool (such as the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale or ROBINS-I) was applied to the included studies. The included studies are heterogeneous in terms of design, populations, follow-up periods, and outcome measures, limiting direct comparability and precluding meta-analysis. Variability in psychosocial assessment tools further con- strains the strength of the conclusions. In addition, article selection was performed by a single reviewer. Despite these limitations, a narrative approach was considered appropri- ate given the diversity of study designs and the exploratory, thematic nature of this review.

    Mental Health Challenges in Cleft Lip and/or Palate Care: A Narrative Review with an Indian Perspective · 2026 · DOI

  • The case demonstrates BFP flap success in very advanced age with geriatric constraints such as frailty and limited anesthetic tolerance, but broader clinical evidence from comparative studies across elderly populations is needed.

    Reconstruction of a partial maxillectomy defect using a pedicled buccal fat pad flap in an elderly oral squamous cell carcinoma patient · 2026 · DOI

  • PURPOSE: The literature is scarce on studies comparing secondary alveolar bone graft (SABG) performed early at approximately 5-6 years and at the conventional time at 9-11 years.

    Comparison of early and conventional autogenous secondary alveolar bone graft in children with cleft lip and palate: A systematic review · 2020 · DOI

  • Conclusion: Further studies of the clinical implication of timely and accurate VPI diagnosis, including quality of life assessments, are recommended to provide stronger guidance on team visit and evaluation planning.

    Management of Velopharyngeal Insufficiency in Cleft Patients With and Without Multidisciplinary Team Care · 2020 · DOI

  • Although 90% of the SLPs identified increasing consonant inventory as an early intervention goal, lack of consensus was evident regarding the type of consonant to stimulate.

    Opinions of Speech-Language Pathologists Regarding Speech Management for Children With Cleft Lip and Palate · 2019 · DOI

  • Conclusion: PNAM as an early-stage adjunctive therapy for nasal deformity correction is beneficial before primary cheiloplasty, but it is insufficient to maintain long-term nostril symmetry after primary cheiloplasty without nasal cartilage dissection.

    Effect of Presurgical Nasoalveolar Molding on Nasal Symmetry in Unilateral Complete Cleft Lip/Palate Patients after Primary Cheiloplasty without Concomitant Nasal Cartilage Dissection · 2017 · DOI

  • Conclusions It still remains unknown whether laypeople are more or less critical than professionals when rating facial appearance of patients with repaired CLP.

    Evaluation of Facial Appearance in Patients with Cleft Lip and Palate by Laypeople and Professionals: A Systematic Literature Review · 2015 · DOI

  • Professional opinion remains divided as to which treatments may be the most beneficial for patients with CL/P, and the factors that contribute to psychological adjustment are poorly understood.

    Opportunities and Challenges in Establishing a Cohort Study: An Example from Cleft Lip/Palate Research in the United Kingdom · 2015 · DOI

  • Significant heterogeneity has previously been reported but with no consensus on the prevalence of dental anomalies in subjects with a cleft lip and palate (CLP), thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency of various dental anomalies in the upper dental arch in different cleft groups.

    Dental anomalies in individuals with cleft lip and/or palate · 2010 · DOI

  • There was a tendency towards higher caries scores in preschool children, but as conflicting results were revealed, the evidence that children with CLP exhibit more caries than noncleft controls was inconclusive.

    Caries prevalence in children with cleft lip and palate – a systematic review of case–control studies · 2007 · DOI

  • feeding Previous studies have consistently emphasized that feeding concerns represent one of the primary stressors for families immediately after birth.1,3,7…

    Oral Feeding Support and Outcomes in Neonates With Cleft Palate With or Without Cleft Lip: A Retrospective NICU Case Series · 2026 · DOI

  • Within the limitations of this study, the findings suggest that oral feeding can frequently be achieved through breastfeeding alone or in combination with standard bottle feeding, without routine reliance on specialized feeding devices in carefully selected infants.

    Oral Feeding Support and Outcomes in Neonates With Cleft Palate With or Without Cleft Lip: A Retrospective NICU Case Series · 2026 · DOI

  • However, the extent and pattern of nasolabial morphological change during the early postoperative period and throughout the first year of growth remain insufficiently understood.

    A longitudinal three-dimensional analysis of nasolabial morphology following primary cheiloplasty of unilateral cleft lip deformity · 2026 · DOI

  • 7 Future Research Directions Future research should focus on longitudinal studies to assess the progression of middle ear dysfunction in children with cleft palate and evaluate the long-term outcomes of various interventions.

    PREVALENCE OF MIDDLE EAR DYSFUNCTION IN CHILDREN WITH CLEFT PALATE IN LAGOS, NIGERIA · 2026 · DOI

  • Alternative conservative approaches such as secondary healing with palatal stent and adjunctive dressing materials could have been considered if no bony defect had been present, but comparative effectiveness data between these approaches in elderly patients is lacking.

    Reconstruction of a partial maxillectomy defect using a pedicled buccal fat pad flap in an elderly oral squamous cell carcinoma patient · 2026 · DOI

  • Treatment strategies should be individualized based on patient-specific factors, particularly age-related physiological limitations, rather than solely on defect size or theoretical reconstructive superiority, but systematic guidelines for such individualization are not established.

    Reconstruction of a partial maxillectomy defect using a pedicled buccal fat pad flap in an elderly oral squamous cell carcinoma patient · 2026 · DOI

  • ABSTRACT Objective Few studies have analysed the outcome of bone grafts in bilateral alveolar clefts and the bone fill with a two‐step surgery method.

    Volumetric Assessment of Resorption Patterns of Bilateral Alveolar Clefts in Cone‐Beam Computed Tomography in Two‐ Stage Bone Graft · 2025 · DOI

  • While early palatoplasty is known to support better speech outcomes, limited data exists from the caregiver's perspective, particularly in diverse cleft severities.

    Caregiver-reported outcomes of speech and social function among cleft palate patients operated with palatoplasty, at different age groups, using CLEFT-Q: A cross-sectional questionnaire study · 2025 · DOI

  • CONCLUSIONS: Few reports have evaluated single-stage CBCL repair or revision with severe premaxillary protrusion using PVPS.

    Premaxillary Setback With Posterior Vomerine Ostectomy: Outcomes of Single-Stage Repair of Complete Bilateral Cleft Lip With a Severely Protruding Premaxilla · 2018 · DOI

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90 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 1,914 Cleft Lip and Palate Research papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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