Cleft Lip and Palate

A cleft lip occurs when the upper lip and nose do not properly form in utero. A clef t palate occurs when the roof of the mouth does not properly form in utero. Several factors are believed to cause clefts, but a specific cause has not been found. Some suspected factors are: genetic makeup, lack of folic acid in the mother’s diet during her pregnancy, use of Valium and Dilantin during pregnancy and smoking during pregnancy.

We are not absolutely sure of the cause. Feeding an infant with a cleft lip and palate is extremely difficult. Because the roof of the mouth is open to the nose, the baby is unable to suck. The only way to feed is to squirt formula down the throat, which is extremely unpleasant. The baby swallows air, has difficulty swallowing, and can have failure to thrive. It is time consuming and very stressful for the new parents and baby.

At Atlantic Dental Associates, feeding obturators are made for the infant at birth. This is an acrylic appliance that covers the palate and allows the baby to suck. The cleft is repaired in a series of surgeries that allow for normal growth and development of the child’s face. Speech can be severely affected by a cleft palate. By covering the cleft early at birth the baby learns more normal swallowing patterns which lead to more normal speech patterns.

Hearing can also be affected. Without using obturators, the incidence of hearing loss is greater. Most children with a cleft lip and palate are missing a tooth in the line of the cleft. Due to advances in implant dentistry, this can be restored with a single tooth implant. Other operations may include plastic surgery on the nose or soft palate.