What treatment is available for adults with cleft lip and palate?
Treatments currently available to infants and children with cleft lip and palate are also available to adults with clefts. Although every attempt is made to complete cleft care by the late teens, some ongoing treatment still may be required or some unmet patient need may become apparent in later years. In addition, new approaches for management of clefts become available as time passes. Finally, adults may desire genetic counseling in order to determine the likelihood of having an infant with a cleft. How can treatment needs be determined? Evaluation by a cleft palate team can provide the adult with a cleft with information regarding clefting and its management. A cleft palate team consists of a group of specialists with particular expertise in cleft lip and palate. Specialties represented on the team include plastic surgery, ear-nose and throat, hearing, dentistry, speech, oral surgery, nursing, and psychology among others. You can obtain the names of cleft teams in your locality by p
