EARLY ORTHOPEDIC TREATMENT IN CLEFT LIP AND PALATE PATIENT: A CASE REPORT

구순구개열 환아의 조기 악정형치료에 관한 증례

Cleft lip and palate is the most common malformation in the craniofacial region. The patients with cleft lip and palate have functional problem such as, speech, feeding and respiratory as well as esthetic problem. So, treatment should be done by multidiciplinary team approach. The role of pediatric dentist in the team is advicement for feeding method, guidance of normal growth, caries control and preventive orthodontics. In cleft lip and palate patients, maxillary arch after cheiloplasty is usually collapsed by excessive tension of the scar. This collapse increase the difficulty of later orthodontic treatment. Therefore, the maxillary arch segments should be moved and retaind to normal position as soon as cheiloplasty is done to reduce the need and difficulty of orthodontic treatment. This concept is called by the early orthopedic treatment in cleft lip and palate. Also, this orthopedic appliance works as feeding applince to normal feeding and weight gain We reported two cases of early orthopedic treatment with favorable result in complete bilateral cleft lip and palate patients after cheiloplasty. Patients showed normal weight and their maxillary arch widths were increased.