Treatment of cleft lip, jaw and palate / treatment of clefts

The orthodontic treatment of newborns with a cleft lip, jaw and/or palate is one of our treatment specialities.  The treatment of a congenital cleft of the face and jaw is often long and complex. It requires an interdisciplinary therapeutic approach, precisely adapted to the patient's stage of development.

At University Hospital Regensburg, patients are cared for and treated from the very first days of life in close cooperation with the Clinic and Polyclinic for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and the Clinic and Polyclinic for ENT Medicine. Affected newborns are cared for by the Orthodontic Polyclinic on a consultative basis in the surrounding children's hospitals.

Tongue and breathing disorders

Cleft lip, jaw and palate are among the most common congenital malformations in humans with an incidence of approx. 1:500. Depending on the severity of the cleft of the mouth, jaw and face, the tongue and breathing may be affected. Eating can also be very difficult. For this reason, in the first few days after birth, it is often necessary to make feeding easier for the child with the help of a specially adapted feeding and function plate. The drinking plate effectively seals the connection between the oral cavity and nasal cavity that is created by the gap, so that the milk ingested cannot escape through the nose again. It also helps your baby learn the correct tongue position and breathing function, which is particularly important in the first few days and weeks of life.

Continuous adjustment of the drinking and function plate

Children grow and develop very quickly in the first few months. It is therefore necessary to adjust or re-create the drinking and function plate at regular intervals of about three to four weeks. This can have a positive effect on jaw growth and often creates better conditions for surgical closure of the cleft. In addition to the primary treatment of children with a drinking plate, early orthodontic treatment of the primary dentition with removable appliances is often necessary. This is usually followed by fixed orthodontic treatment at a later stage.

Focus on function and aesthetics

Thanks to the coordinated, close cooperation between the various specialist disciplines at the University Hospital Regensburg and the latest therapeutic resources, we achieve very good treatment results in terms of function and aesthetics.