Cleft Lip and Palate: Overview of Causes, Surgical Repair, and Treatment Approaches: A Narrative Review

Cleft lip and palate is one of the most common congenital malformations of the skull and face (craniofacial). The deformity is characterized by a loss of integrity of the lip muscles, alveolar bone, and hard and soft palate. The severity of the deformity can range from a small hole in the lip to a large fissure extending into the roof of the mouth and nose. Management and control of cleft patients is a challenge. Intervention in these patients begins very early in life, from the fetal period, and continues into adulthood, and the patient's relatives are always involved in the treatment process. Since there are multiple problems in these patients, the treatment process is managed in a group and multidisciplinary manner to achieve the desired result. The goal of all treatment measures for a person with a cleft lip and palate is to provide intelligible speech, hearing within a normal range, good facial appearance, proper lip and nose symmetry, an attractive smile, good occlusion, healthy oral structures, and ultimately appropriate self-confidence. In the current study, I reviewed the causes, pathophysiology, surgical repair, and treatment approaches in patients with cleft lip and palate.