Information :: Cleft Treatment Dr. Lawrence has been a member of the Cleft Palate & Facial Anomalies Clinic of Northwest Ohio* for 25 years. In his capacity with this team he has provided the oral surgical needs for many patients. The two main areas of oral surgical care associated with the treatment of patients with cleft lip and palate are alveolar cleft bone grafting and orthognathic surgery.

Alveolar cleft bone grafting is required to provide the bony continuity of the upper jaw that this birth defect has interrupted. Boney continuity of the upper jaw provides stability of the overall bite relationship of the jaws and to the teeth in the area of the cleft. Placement of the bone graft at the optimum age will allow for the eruption and stability of the permanent teeth in this area. This usually eliminates the need for the placement of prosthetic (false) teeth in the area of the cleft. Orthodontists provide necessary treatment to these patients as well. The coordinated efforts of the general dentist, pedodontist, orthodontist and oral & maxillofacial surgeon can result in this group of patients having a very normal dental result.

Orthognathic surgery is required in some cleft cases. This surgery is used to reposition the jaws in a coordinated relationship. In patients with cleft lip and palate who need orthognathic surgery the upper jaw almost always needs to be position more forward while the lower jaw may need to be repositioned back a bit to achieve a normal dental relationship between the jaws.

For more information on these treatments visit the following websites: Cleft Bone Grafting

Dental Care of Cleft Patient

Replacing a Missing Tooth in Cleft Patients

Cleft FAQ’s

About Cleft Lip and Palate

* Cleft Palate & Facial Anomalies Clinic of Northwest Ohio 2121 Hughes Dr, Suite 920 Toledo, OH 43606-5140 Team Phone: 419.291.2000 Patient Age Range: 0-18 Team Leader(s): James W. Hunyadi, MD (Plastic Surgery) Other Contact(s): Bea French, RN (Genetics); Debbie Jewson-Valasek (Coordinator/Administrator); Jay Jindal, MD (Otolaryngology); Timothy M. Lawrence, DDS, MS (Oral/Maxillofacial Surgery); Amy Ruth, M Ed, CCC-SLP (Speech-Language Pathology)