Knowledge, attitude, and practice of feeding plate obturators among dental practitioners.

Background: Every infant should receive a comprehensive health-care risk assessment irrespective of their circumstances. Numerous reports have shown association between orofacial cleft and weight loss, feeding disability. The purpose of this study was to understand the anxiety and depression among mothers and knowledge, attitude, and practice skills of feeding plate obturators among dental practitioners. Aim: The aim of the study is to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of feeding plate obturators among dental practitioners. Materials and Methods: The study involved a survey of 100 private dental practitioners all among India. The pre-tested questionnaire on the awareness and fabrication of feeding plate obturators among the dental practitioners was used to collect the data related. The data collected were subjected to statistical analysis using frequency of responses and standard deviation. Results: The data acquired from this survey exhibited that 85% of dentists receive a frequency of cases with orofacial clefts of around 10/6 months, though these patients require a multidisciplinary approach through various phases of their growth, parents bother about their feeding disabilities, as 70% of patients age approaching clinic was around 15-45 days. Hence, the primary treatment approach could be a feeding plate obturator which helps them in feeding and swallowing. Whereas 55% of clinicians fabricate feeding plate obturators on their own and 30% depends on other clinicians for such cases. Usually, the obturators were been delivered in 1 or 2 days (80%). The hospital anxiety and depression scale has been recorded by clinicians (75%) before and after the fabrication of obturators. Whereas, 80% out of the above reveals that the anxiety and depression among mothers have been reduced after the treatment. Conclusion: The findings of this survey with dental practitioners showed that management of feeding difficulties among orofacial cleft infants with feeding plate obturators still presents some deviations from scientific literature recommendations, indicating the need to update these health-care professionals to establish guidelines for postnatal dental care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]