subject: Cleft Lip And Palate Repair: Where To Go In Charlotte Nc [print this page] Do you know that cleft lip and palate repair is available in Charlotte, North Carolina? Certain oral surgeons have trained on cleft lip oral surgeries.
Cleft lip and palate is one of the most common birth defects in the United States, affecting one or two out of 1000 babies born every year. Depending on the child's health condition, it requires several medical professionals and procedures to help address related problems.
One of these approaches, oral surgery corrects a cleft lip or cleft palate or both and must be conducted by a maxillofacial and oral surgeon with extensive experience and qualifications.
Does your child have cleft lip and palate or either of these two conditions?
These conditions are usually identifiable right away at birth. A cleft may look like a small notch in the upper lip, called cleft lip, but, in some cases, the cleft extends from the lip through the upper gum and palate to the bottom of the nose. The latter is called cleft palate.
In most cases, the definite causes are not known but doctors know that the cleft or opening is present because the fusion of the lip and the palate did not take place or occurred partially only when it should have happened during the first two months of the baby in the mother's womb. In this case, the pediatrician will be able to inform the parents and advise them about the needed care.
A submucous cleft palate, on the other hand, is not diagnosed right away because the lining of the mouth may cover the cleft in the muscles of the soft palate. Problems with feeding, nasal regurgitation and excessive gassiness in a newborn baby could be symptoms of this condition. The pediatrician should be consulted to make sure this is not the case.
What challenges do children with cleft lip and palate face?
Breast- feeding is possible for most babies with cleft lip but those with a cleft palate will have difficulty sucking and are at risk of gagging or nasal regurgitation. Tooth development will likely be affected if the cleft affects the upper gum.
A cleft palate can also increase the risk for middle ear infections, which may eventually result to hearing loss if it happens very often. Another problem is speech development, which may be affected because both lip and palate are used in forming sounds.
Children with clefts also face psychological challenges such as social, emotional and behavioral problems due to differences in appearance from others and stress of intensive medical care for related conditions.
What happens during cleft lip and palate repair?
Recommended for children at age 10, oral surgery for cleft lip repair closes the separation in the lip to create a normal appearance, structure and function.
Cleft palate repair which is best for children between ages 8 and 12 involves several procedures to close the separation, rebuild the hard and soft palate, and reposition tissue and muscles. These reconstruction procedures offer significant improvement in appearance, quality of life and ability to eat, breathe and talk for Charlotte's children with cleft lip and palate.
Is your child ready to undergo oral surgery for cleft lip and palate repair? Drop by oral surgeons' office today at in Charlotte, North Carolina today for more in-depth information and guidance.
