What Are The Goals Of Cleft Palate Surgery?

If you or one of your children have a cleft lip or palate in Melbourne, Florida and are considering surgery, you should know what to expect from our staff at Sedaros Oral Facial Surgery & Dental Implants. The palate if is the roof of your mouth and it is made of bone and muscle covered by thin skin. The purpose of your palate is to separate your nose from your mouth. A cleft palate is treated with surgery when a child is 7 to 18 months old. The goal of this surgery is to close the gap or hole between the rood of the mouth and the nose. It will also reconnect the muscles that make your palate work. Finally, the surgery will make the repaired palate long enough so that the palate can perform its function properly.

There are many different techniques that our staff can use to accomplish these goals. The cleft hard palate is generally repaired between the ages of 8 and 12 when the cuspid teeth begin to develop. The procedure involves placement of bone from the hip into the bony defect, and closure of the communication from the nose to the gum tissue in three layers. It may also be performed in teenagers and adults as an individual procedure or combined with corrective jaw surgery. If you are considering this surgery, then please contact our staff at Sedaros Oral Facial Surgery & Dental Implants.