Orthodontic-surgical interaction in the management of cleft lip and palate

The orthodontist's role in the cleft palate team requires close collaboration with the surgeons and other team members. The rationale of timing and sequencing of orthodontic treatment have been discussed in the various time frames, which for convenience have been considered as follows: (1) neonatal or infant maxillary orthopedics; (2) orthodontic considerations in the primary dentition; (3) mixed dentition orthodontics to include presurgical recommendations before an alveolar bone graft and its rationale for use in selected patients; and (4) orthognathic surgery combining an orthodontic and surgical approach to the correction of dental and skeletal components of malocclusion in the permanent dentition. Speech considerations and the communicative skills of the patient with a cleft are important aspects in planning orthognathic surgery for this group of patients. Also, subsequent nose and lip revisions for cosmetic improvement must not be underestimated in the enhancement of the final result following correction of the skeletal and dental discrepancies. Provided the timing and sequencing of appropriate treatment modalities are planned in a closely coordinated, problem-oriented approach by the team members, cleft patients should currently have optimal functional and esthetic results.