A medical team from the College of Dentistry at IAU successfully treated an infant born with Cleft-lip and Palate with the use of a new digital scanning technique.
The head of the team, Dr. Suliman Shahin, a consultant of Orthodontics mentioned that: "A digital scanning technique has been successfully used in obtaining an impression of an infant born with cleft lip and palate. Intra-oral scanning is considered the latest and safest technology used to obtain dental impressions in infants and can be used instead of the traditional silicone material, which poses the hazard of suffocation. Afterwards, a 3D printed model can be obtained via a 3D printer to fabricate an appliance to assist in closing cleft defects. Furthermore, Dr. Shahin noted that results of local research show that the incidence rate of cleft-lip and palate in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is twice as high compared to developed countries.
