Cleft Palate Surgery is performed on patients with a congenital defect in the roof of the mouth. This defect may be a hard tissue defect (hard palate), soft tissue defect (soft palate) or a combination of the two. If left unrepaired, this defect can cause speech problems (hypernasal speech), nasal regurgitation, recurrent ear infections, breathing problems, severely restricted facial growth and dental malocclusion. Multiple procedures are traditionally performed in order to correct the cleft palate. The first surgery is typically performed between 10 and 18 months of age in order to allow the patient to develop speech appropriately. Unfortunately, after this repair children may still have difficulty with speech and an oral-nasal fistula (an opening between the mouth and the nose). Children with cleft palates often undergo early orthodontic treatment with braces in order to correct dental malocclusion and to expand the upper jaw. Between 8 and 12 years of age, bone grafting is performed in order close the defect between the mouth and the nasal cavity. Please keep in mind that the above timeline is only an example, and that cleft palate surgery is performed on patients of all ages.
Children with cleft palates often have other growth disturbances, such as midface deficiency, restricted upper jaw (maxillary) growth, facial asymmetries, cleft nose, severe dental malocclusion, missing teeth and objective lower jaw overgrowth. Patients with the above conditions are treated after skeletal maturity, usually in their mid to late teens, with orthognathic surgery, dental implants and rhinoplasties.