Cleft lip and Cleft palate refer to certain facial and oral malformations that occur very early during pregnancy i.e; when the foetus is developing inside the womb of the mother. In a Cleft lip, the two sides of the upper lip are separated and it appears as a narrow opening in the skin of the upper lip. This separation could generally extend beyond the base of the nose and also includes the bones of the upper jaw and/or upper gum. A Cleft palate is an opening in the roof of the mouth and involves the hard palate and/or the soft palate.
Causes of cleft lip or cleft palate
Clefts may happen due to a combination of certain genetic and environmental factors. Another probable cause for Cleft lip or Cleft palate could be the medication a mother might have taken during her pregnancy. Children having Cleft lip or Cleft palate may be prone to eating problems, ear infections/hearing loss, speech problems and various other dental problems.
Dental care
Early dental care: Children who are born with Cleft lip and Cleft palate necessarily require proper cleaning, good nutrition and fluoride treatment so as to have healthy teeth. A small toothbrush with soft-bristles must be used to appropriately clean the teeth. According to dentists, the first dental visit must be scheduled at about 1 year of age or even earlier if there are any special dental problems. Routine dental care must start around 3 years of age.
Orthodontic care: The first orthodontic appointment must be scheduled before the child has any teeth. The main purpose of fixing this orthodontic appointment is to make an assessment of the facial growth, especially jaw development of the child. After teeth erupt, the orthodontist can further examine and assess the child's short and long-term dental requirements. Orthodontics can be applied for teeth alignment after the permanent teeth erupt.
Prosthodontic care: A prosthodontist may fix a dental bridge in order to replace the missing teeth or use special dental equipments called "speech bulbs" or "palatal lifts" that would help close the nose from the mouth so that speech sounds are more normal.