Trends in Orofacial Cleft Research
A special issue of Dentistry Journal (ISSN 2304-6767).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 2711
Special Issue Editors
Interests: oral cancer; biomarkers; tumor microenvironment; oral cleft; genetic diseases
Interests: oral health; oral cancer
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
An orofacial cleft, represented by cleft lip, cleft palate, or a combination of both (cleft lip–palate), is one of the most common congenital anomalies globally and the most common in the craniofacial region. It may occur as a manifestation of more than 500 syndromes or as a nonsyndromic isolated condition, which corresponds to approximately 70% of all cases. About 1 in every 700 live births is affected by an orofacial cleft, but considerable geographic and ethnic variations exist. Orofacial clefts are a key health problem, with high rates of infant mortality, mainly in developing countries, and morbidity, affecting the quality of life and many psychosocial aspects for survivors and family members. Moreover, this anomaly imposes a very high overall economic burden on the health system. Only integrated approaches at all levels of healthcare can improve our understanding and lead to novel insights and clinical applications for the prevention and management of patients with orofacial clefts, reversing the current situation, which is concerning for everyone in the field. In the longer term, therapeutic interventions may become a reality. Therefore, an understanding of the pathogenesis of this anomaly at the cellular and molecular levels and the identification of environmental and genetic risk factors are of the utmost importance.
Our goal in launching this Special Issue is to provide opportunities for international experts in this field to publish their studies, highlighting the current state of the art and perspectives for future research to aid in the prevention of orofacial clefts and the management of patients.
Topics covered by this Special Issue include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Epidemiological and clinical features of orofacial clefts;
- Environmental risk factors for nonsyndromic orofacial clefts and their prevention;
- Genetic and epigenetic studies on orofacial clefts;
- Dental anomalies and other possible malformations associated with nonsyndromic orofacial clefts;
- Craniofacial growth in patients with orofacial clefts;
- Multidisciplinary management of patients with orofacial clefts;
- Challenges in the dental and orthodontic treatment of patients with orofacial clefts;
- Promotion of oral health in patients with orofacial clefts;
- Insights from cleft to non-cleft patients: bridging understanding in craniofacial and dental development.
Prof. Dr. Ricardo D. Coletta
Prof. Dr. Hercílio Martélli-Júnior
Prof. Dr. Erika Calvano Küchler
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- cleft lip
- cleft palate
- epidemiology
- risk factors
- craniofacial abnormalities
- growth and development
- therapeutics
- health promotion
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