Cleft Lip and Palate Treatment
Craniofacial orthodontics is the sub-specialty of orthodontics that focuses on the multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary treatment of patients with birth defects, such as cleft lip and palate.
These conditions often require coordinated surgical and medical interventions or extraordinary behavioral management to make orthodontic treatment practical and effective. Orthodontic treatments for cleft lip and palate patients tends to be more complex, take more time and clinical resources, and require working with multiple dental, surgical, and medical providers to get the best results.
Current practice standards call for a coordinated plan of care between the fellowship-trained craniofacial orthodontists and plastic-craniofacial surgeons – among other specialists – in order to achieve excellent and aesthetic facial results.
A Cedarbaum Area of Expertise
Treating patients with cleft lip and palate is commonly done in a team setting and usually spans the first two decades of life. We have clinical expertise in all aspects of orthodontic braces treatment for infants, children, adolescents, and adults with facial clefts, craniofacial diagnoses, and complex medical and special needs.
Dr. Andrew Cedarbaum is experienced and confident when working with patients who require craniofacial and special care treatments, and has a long-standing interest in caring for the more complex types of jaw and facial abnormalities.
Resources
Patients and parents may access additional resources related to these conditions by visiting the website for the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA) www.acpa-cpf.org. The ACPA recommends that patients born with birth defects benefit the most when all their providers work together in interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary teams, ensuring not only the best outcome, but also the most effective utilization of health resources.
For questions regarding the orthodontic braces treatment options for cleft lip and palate, contact our office today.
Additional resources are also available from the website of the Cleft Palate Foundation at http://www.cleftline.org