Efficacy of digital nasoalveolar molding in reducing severity of cleft lip or palate malformation in infants: a systematic review protocol

This review will compare the efficacy of nasoalveolar molding plates fabricated using a digital workflow to conventional fabrication methods or no intervention in infants with cleft lip or palate.Nasoalveolar molding reduces the severity of orofacial defects in infants with cleft lip or palate using a series of adaptable plates for the maxillary arch. The conventional method needs multiple patient visits at short intervals for treatment. A digital workflow can be used to fabricate multiple plates in one appointment, which eliminates human error, reduces the number of appointments, and allocates more time for patient care for the orthodontic team than appliance fabrication.This review will consider clinical studies that report the results of digital nasoalveolar molding in infants with cleft lip or palate and compare it to the conventional method or to no treatment. Outcomes of interest will be objective measures of craniofacial form, nasolabial measurements, or palatal form.This review will be conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Oral Health Group Trial Register, and ClinicalTrials.gov will be searched using appropriate keywords. Publications in English will be considered. Screening based on titles and abstracts will be done after de-duplication, followed by full-text reading for selection based on the inclusion criteria. Data extracted from the studies will be tabulated and assessed for risk of bias. If applicable, a meta-analysis of the pooled data will be conducted.PROSPERO CRD42020186452.