Abstract
Objective:
To better understand the capacity for orthodontic care, service features, and finances among members of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA).
Design:
Cross-sectional survey.
Setting:
ACPA-approved multidisciplinary cleft teams.
Participants:
Cleft team coordinators.
Interventions:
Coordinators were asked to complete the survey working together with their orthodontists.
Main Outcome Measure:
Model for orthodontic care.
Results:
Coordinators from 82 out of 167 teams certified by ACPA completed the survey (response rate = 49.1%). Most orthodontists were private practice volunteers (48%) followed by university/hospital employed (22.8%). Care was often delivered in community private practice facilities (44.2%) or combination of university and private practice facilities (39.0%). Half of teams reported offering presurgical infant orthopedics (PSIO), with nasoalveolar molding being the most common. Cleft/craniofacial patients typically comprise 25% or less of the orthodontists’ practices. The presence of a university/hospital-based orthodontist was associated with higher rates of offering PSIO (P < .001) and an increased percentage dedication of their practice to cleft/craniofacial care (P < .001).
Conclusion:
Orthodontic models across ACPA-certified teams are highly varied. The employment of full-time craniofacial orthodontists is less common but is highly correlated with a practice with a high percentage of cleft care and the offering of advanced services such as PSIO. Future work should focus on how to effectively promote such roles for orthodontists to ensure high-level care for cleft/craniofacial patients requiring treatment from infancy through skeletal maturity.
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