Exploring Current Trends, Challenges and Future Directions of Intraoral Digital Impression in the Management of Patients with Cleft Lip and/or Palate: A Narrative Literature Review

<b>Introduction</b>: Cleft lip and palate (CL/P) patients require long-term interdisciplinary care to enhance function, aesthetics, and quality of life. Digital impressions (DI) using intraoral scanners (IOS) have become a viable substitute for traditional impressions in all areas of dentistry, including CL/P care. This review summarises the literature on DI's potential to replace conventional impressions (CI) in the care of CL/P patients, evaluating clinical integration, accuracy, patient and clinician perceptions, and implementation challenges. <b>Methods</b>: A comprehensive literature search was performed across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar to identify all published studies utilising digital impressions in the clinical care of cleft lip and palate (CL/P) patients up to March 2024. Predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. Out of 503 initially retrieved records, 27 studies met the final eligibility criteria and were included in this review. <b>Results</b>: DI demonstrated comparable accuracy to CI in capturing oral structures in CL/P patients, with minimal discrepancies in intra-arch measurements. Patients and parents perceived DI as less invasive and more comfortable, while clinicians noted reduced respiratory complications. Challenges included capturing deep cleft areas and managing unique neonatal and infant anatomy. The review highlights the need for further research on optimal scanning techniques, scanner design, and standardised protocols to enhance DI effectiveness in CL/P care. <b>Conclusions</b>: DI is a viable alternative to CI in CL/P management, offering efficient, patient-centred workflows. Integrating digital technologies can enhance clinical outcomes, but ongoing research is essential to refine scanning strategies, improve accuracy, and address anatomical challenges in this population.