Presurgical nasoalveolar molding with 3D printing for a patient with unilateral cleft lip, alveolus, and palate

Abstract

An 8-day-old male infant with unilateral cleft lip, alveolus, and palate had a wide alveolar defect, soft tissue deformity, and a markedly sunken nasal wing at the cleft side. The patient was treated with a series of 3D-printed molding plates and synchronously with a nasal hook. The cleft edges moved closer by 9 mm at the alveolar ridge and the nasal wing was lifted considerably. Split-type 3D printing of presurgical nasoalveolar molding helped to reduce the cleft gap, improve the arch form, approximate lip segments, and distinctly improve the morphology of the nose by correcting the flattened nasal wings.