What is cleft lip/cleft palate?
Cleft lip/cleft palate are congenital developmental abnormalities of the face in which the roof of the mouth, the dental arch and the lips do not join properly. A cleft is defined as a division in the body’s natural structure, regularly formed before birth. When only the soft tissues of the face are involved, it is likely referring to cleft lip. Cleft lip is a small gap or an indentation in the lip (partial or incomplete cleft) or continues into the nose (complete cleft). Lip cleft can occur as one sided (unilateral) or two sided (bilateral). Cleft palate is a large gap (complete) or small hole (incomplete) in the roof of the mouth and may involve both hard and soft palates.
