Cleft lip is a congenital defect that occurs during gestational age and affects thousands of children worldwide. It is similar to cleft palate. In both cases it is necessary an exhaustive control of children’s oral health.
What are the problems?
Cleft lip and cleft palate are congenital defects that occur during fetal development and are usually detected during gestation, so we can plan quality oral treatments quickly.
Of course, extreme oral care is paramount, as children with cleft lip are a group at risk for tooth decay as a result of abnormal salivary glands. In addition, both conditions are associated with malocclusion problems, so developing good pediatric orthodontics and quality follow-up care will be essential.
Causes
Despite the numerous investigations that have been carried out on this subject, it is still not possible to determine the causes of these congenital defects in newborns. However, risk factors that could be behind these oral problems have been detected:
- Smoking during pregnancy.
- Diagnosis of diabetes before pregnancy.
Cleft lip treatment
The treatment of cleft lip or cleft palate requires a surgical intervention, which successfully corrects the congenital defect and normally, it is recommended to perform the surgery before the child reaches the age of one year.
Thanks to current means and technologies, the results of surgical interventions are stupendous. At the Ruiz de Gopegui Dental Clinic we plan each protocol to measure. In cases of cleft palate, we focus on studying the oral and dental development of the child.