Dental knowledge: cleft lip and palate

Treating cleft lip and palate in maxillofacial surgery.

Cleft lip and palate form during pregnancy. A cleft affects not only appearance but can also cause considerable functional problems with chewing, swallowing and speech. Treatment is always interdisciplinary, closely coordinated between the maxillofacial surgeon, orthodontist, ENT specialist and speech therapist. The aim of a long-term treatment concept is to normalise appearance and give the chewing apparatus trouble-free function.

The goal of the interdisciplinary treatment is to create, by the time the child starts school at the latest, every condition needed for undisturbed further development in a school environment of your choice.

One of the first steps is normally to make a palatal plate, which is fitted in the child's first days of life. It not only makes drinking easier for the baby; by grinding away parts of its underside, the dental arch can be shaped and the cleft narrowed.

Answered briefly

Frequently asked questions

When does a cleft lip and palate develop?

It forms as early as during pregnancy. A cleft of this kind affects not only the appearance, it can also cause considerable functional problems with chewing, swallowing and speaking. It is therefore treated according to a long-term plan.

Which specialists treat a child with a cleft?

Treatment is always interdisciplinary and closely coordinated between the oral and maxillofacial surgeon, the orthodontist, the ear, nose and throat specialist and the speech therapist. The aim is a normalised appearance and a trouble-free function of the chewing apparatus, if possible by the time the child starts school.

What is the palatal plate for in the first days of life?

The palatal plate is normally one of the first treatment steps and is fitted in the child's first days of life. It makes drinking easier for the baby. Grinding away parts of the underside of the plate can also shape the dental arch or narrow the cleft.