Cleft Lip & Palate − Wilmington DE
Wilmington DE Oral Surgeon, Louis K. Rafetto, DMD, can repair a Cleft Lip or Cleft Palate with surgery. Call us today. Wilmington Office Phone Number Wilmington Office Phone Number 302-477-1800
During early pregnancy, separate areas of the face develop individually and then join together, including the left and right sides of the roof of the mouth and lips. If these parts do not join properly, the result is a cleft. If the separation occurs in the upper lip, the child is said to have a cleft lip.
Since the lip and palate develop separately, it is possible for a child to be born with a cleft lip, palate or both. Cleft defects occur in about one out of every 800 babies.
Cleft Lip
A completely formed lip is important not only for a normal facial appearance but also for sucking and to form certain sounds made during speech. A cleft lip is a condition that creates an opening in the upper lip between the mouth and nose.
It looks as though there is a split in the lip. It can range from a slight notch in the colored portion of the lip to complete separation in one or both sides of the lip extending up and into the nose. A cleft on one side is called a unilateral cleft.
If a cleft occurs on both sides, it is called a bilateral cleft. A cleft in the gum is often associated with a cleft lip. This may range from a small notch in the gum to a complete division of the gum into separate parts. A similar defect in the roof of the mouth is called a cleft palate.
Cleft Palate
The palate is the roof of your mouth. It is made of bone and muscle and is covered by a thin, wet skin that forms the red covering inside the mouth. You can feel your own palate by running your tongue over the top of your mouth.
Its purpose is to separate your nose from your mouth. The palate has an extremely important role during speech because when you talk, it prevents air from blowing out of your nose instead of your mouth. It is also very important when eating, preventing food and liquids from going up into the nose.
As in cleft lip, a cleft palate occurs in early pregnancy when separate areas of the face have developed individually do not join together properly. A cleft palate occurs when there is an opening in the roof of the mouth.
The back of the palate is called the soft palate and the front is known as the hard palate. A cleft palate can range from just an opening at the back of the soft palate to a nearly complete separation of the roof of the mouth (soft and hard palate).
Cleft Alveolus
The alveolar process (bone of the upper jaw that contains the teeth) can also be involved with a cleft, either one side (unilateral) or both (bilateral). This defect leaves a hole between the mouth and nose. In addition, the area(s) of missing bone do not allow teeth (usually canines) to erupt into the mouth.
Treatment Considerations
Children born with any of these conditions usually need the skills of several professionals to manage the problems associated with the defect such as feeding, speech, hearing and psychological development. In most cases, surgery is recommended.
There are many different techniques that surgeons will use to accomplish these goals. The choice of techniques may vary between surgeons and should be discussed prior to the treatment.
Cleft Lip Treatment
Cleft lip surgery is usually performed when the child is about 10 days old. The goal of surgery is to close the separation, restore muscle function and provide a normal shape to the mouth. The nostril deformity may be improved as a result of the procedure or may require a subsequent surgery.
Cleft Palate Treatment
A cleft palate is initially treated with surgery safely when the child is between 7 to 18 months old. This depends upon the individual child and his/her own situation. For example, if the child has other associated health problems, it is likely that the surgery will be delayed.
The cleft hard palate is generally repaired between the ages of 8 and 12 when the cuspid teeth begin to develop. The procedure involves placement of bone from the hip into the bony defect, and closure of the communication from the nose to the gum tissue in three layers. It may also be performed in teenagers and adults as an individual procedure or combined with corrective jaw surgery.
Cleft Alveolus
The cleft alveolus is usually corrected before the scheduled eruption of the upper canines (eye-teeth) into the mouth. The surgery involves closing the hole between the mouth and nose, filling the defect with bone taken from elsewhere in the body (usually the hip).
Successful surgery is designed to allow eruption of the teeth into their proper position and stop liquids from passing from the mouth into the nose.