One of the most common congenital conditions affecting the head is a cleft lip and the timing and arrangement of the cleft palate, which have a great impact on the outlook appearance, speech capabilities and hearing of a child, and the overall development. Fortunately, contemporary surgical practices have made great progress offering very helpful solutions that can positively transform things.
Bigman Orthodontics is a relevant contributor in the further treatment of cleft patients. As trusted San Ramon orthodontist facility, their team has the experience in facilitating orthodontic procedures that serve in alignment with surgical goals, resulting in favorable orally functional and aesthetic benefits.
Understanding the Conditions
A cleft lip condition is a physical cut or difference of the upper lip that can appear as slight notch or a broad fissure, reaching the nose. A cleft palate is an opening of the roof of the mouth and a cleft may either interfere with the hard palate or the soft palate. Such conditions may appear singularly or in a combination and are mostly diagnosed at birth, or sometimes earlier on by prenatal imaging.
Besides cosmetic reasons, children with cleft palate and palate can suffer with eating problems, ear infection, poor hearing, and slow speech. Due to such extensive consequences, early and extensive treatment is vital.
The Role of Surgery
Mainly it requires surgery, which can be done in stages, depending on the age, how severely the child is affected, and his/her general health. The first common surgery is the repair of cleft lip, which is normally conducted at about 3 to 6 months of age of the baby. This surgery targets the narrowing of the mouth and the amplitude of the nose and a plausible facial balance.
Repair of cleft palate comes slightly afterwards, normally between 9 and 18 months of age. This operation works to seal gap on the roof of the mouth and further speech improvement so it can develop normally and palate muscles doing it well. These are sensitive surgeries that need careful planning to ensure little scarring, best growth and proper functioning gets achieved.
Team-Based Treatment Approach
Treatment of cleft lip and palate needs the input of a multidisciplinary team comprising surgeons, pediatricians, orthodontists, speech therapists, and audiologists. Different professionals will offer different experience to make sure that the child is given a full-service care during growing years.
Specifically, orthodontists contribute to the long-term process of developing the jaws and correcting the bite and will prepare the patient to undergo the additional required surgery. Early care with orthodontist can assist the teeth and jaw structure to be aligned as the kid grows and that can level up speech skills and eating skills with a well-balanced facial aspect.
Secondary Surgeries and Follow-Up
Fine-tuning of appearance, speech or jaw alignment may need follow-up surgeries in childhood or adolescence. Bone grafting can also be done between the age 6 and 10 years to reinforce upper jaw and teeth when the cleft goes down to the gum line.
Follow-up practices are mandatory, to monitor the speech state, dental health, hearing capability, and facial development.
Conclusion
Today, cleft lip and palate issue can be corrected using extensive treatment options. Parents don’t need to worry about their kid’s poor life quality. With right surgical care and reliable support team, youngsters can enjoy a confident and healthy life.