CLEFT LIP AND PALATE AND ORTHODONTICS

Craniofacial orthodontics is a sub-speciality of orthodontics which deals with patients having birth defects like cleft lip and palate. The treatment approach doesnot only involve the orthodontist alone but also a team of speech pathologists, oral surgeons, plastic surgeons, who plan altogether the treatment to correct the cleft involving lip and palate along with other jaw and face abnormalities which develop along with it.

Cleft lip and cleft palate are malformations in which parts of the face that form the upper lip and mouth remain split instead of sealing together before birth. Cleft mainly occurs due to genetics and maternal exposures during the gestational period.

Functional difficulties with cleft lip and palate:

• Eating difficulty: Food and liquids tend to pass from mouth back through the nose due to the separation or opening in the palate. Obturators are given to prevent this from happening.

• Speech difficulties: Since there is no proper contact of the tongue with the palate due to the failure of fusion of the palatal shelves; there are certain speech difficulties which the child face before the deformity is corrected. A speech pathologist generally resolves the issue.

• Ear infections: Cleft lip and palate generally causes buildup in the middle ear leaving children at higher risk of ear infections.

• Dental problems: Children suffering from cleft lip and palate generally have missed, malformed, deformed and misplaced teeth, having a higher predisposition towards dental caries and orthodontic issues.

TREATMENT:

The treatment generally involves a team of specialists along with the craniofacial orthodontist. It is mostly surgery which is done to correct the deformity. Based on the severity, more than one surgery may be required and it generally takes place between three to six months of age.