The management of dental arch deformity in cleft lip and palate

Dental arch deformities develop in the embryo and fetus and are severe at birth. The clinician's responsibility to the patient is to guide the natural mechanisms of growth and compensation so that many aspects of the deformities will be alleviated. Scar tissue is an undesirable sequela to surgery, and should ideally not be adjacent to actively growing areas of the maxilla. There are three methods of managing arch deformities: by prevention, by interception, and by correction. The plastic surgeon modifies the deformity and thereby establishes the framework within which the orthodontist and prosthodontist may accomplish fairly minor alterations.