Craniofacial Orthodontics

Cleft palate or cleft lip is a complex craniofacial disorder that occurs congenitally in some people. Craniofacial orthodontics is a specialized field of dentistry. It deals with the interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary treatment of people born with deformities such as cleft palate and lip.

What are craniofacial treatments?

Craniofacial anomalies are complex to treat, and to ensure the effectiveness and practicality of the treatments it is imperative that there is coordination between the medical and surgical interventions or extraordinary measures are taken regarding behavioral management. Orthodontic treatment of patients with craniofacial disorders are more complex and time consuming than normal orthodontic treatments. Such treatments require additional clinical resources and require the efforts of several dental, and medical specialists to ensure timely and effective results. Current craniofacial practice standards entail coordination between fellowship-trained plastic-craniofacial surgeons and craniofacial orthodontists for premium results. The treatment may also require other specialists depending on the nature of the case.

Treatment of patients with craniofacial disorders is usually spread over the initial two decades of the patient's life. Our experienced doctor has the necessary education required in this field to treat patients with cleft-lip and/or cleft palate because of specialized post-residency fellowship training in craniofacial orthodontics and surgery. Treatment is available for patients of every age, from infants to adults, for all craniofacial disorders requiring complex treatment. Our doctor has extensive training in the field and specialized knowledge regarding dental growth and craniofacial problems, ensuring that you get the best treatment possible.

Additional links:

If you are a patient with craniofacial disorders or the parent of such a patient, learn more about these conditions online on www.acpa-cpf.org (American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association). The association recommends the coordination between all the specialists, and that they work in multi-disciplinary teams so that the patient gets maximum benefits and the best results. This process also ensures that health resources are effectively utilized. For more information, visitwww.acpa-cpf.org/teamcare/Parameters07rev.pdf

Contact us now for more information for timely and effective treatment or visit http://www.cleftline.org (the Cleft Palate Foundation) for additional resources regarding cleft lip and palate and treatments available for craniofacial disorders.