Welcome to Faculty of Dentistry

Cleft Lip & Palate Clinic

CLEFT LIP AND PALATE DEFORMITY

Cleft lip and palate is the commonest congenital deformity affecting 1:600 new born in most Asian countries including Malaysia. Cleft lip and palate results in functional and aesthetic problems that inevitably affects the patient’s quality of and their family members.

Table 1: Problems associated with cleft lip and palate

Facial deformity
Feeding difficulties
Other associated deformities – eg. Heart, fingers, global developmental issues etc
Hearing deficiencies and middle ear infection
Speech deficiencies
Dental problems
Discrepancy in facial skeletal pattern and jaw relationship
Psychosocial issues
Learning disability – in some patients

Fortunately, the management of cleft lip and palate has been well recognized.

Given the spectrum of issues associated with cleft lip and palate deformity, a multidisciplinary team approach is imperative.

The University of Malaya multidisciplinary clinic for cleft lip and palate has been established since the year 2000. The clinic is called “UM Combined Cleft Lip and Palate Clinic” (UM-CCC). Our aim is to provide

Table 2: Team members of UM Combined Cleft Lip and Palate Clinic (UM-CCC)

Specialty	Role
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons	Surgical corrections of cleft lip and palate repair from birth to adulthood, including management of secondary cleft deformity
Plastic Surgeons	Surgical corrections of primary cleft lip and palate deformity
Ear, Nose & Throat Surgeons	Surgical corrections of cleft lip and palate repair in relation to ear infection and hearing deficiencies, including correction of secondary nasal deformity
Paediatrician	Management of systemic issues in the pediatric patients, identifying and confirming associated abnormalities or syndromic cases, Genetic counseling, monitoring of growth and development where necessary, feeding and dietary advice
Paediatric dentist	Management and prevention of paediatric dental diseases
Orthodontist	Pre-surgical orthopaedic appliances Alignment of teeth and correction of malocclusion
Restorative dentists and prosthodontists	Dental treatment and prosthesis for adult patients
Community dentist	Plans awareness programme for the community
Audiologist	Hearing assessment
Speech therapist	Speech evaluation and corrective therapy
NGO support group (CLAPAM)	Peer support for parents, family and patients. Assist in fund raising when necessary
Nurse coordinator	Coordinates patients’ appointment, receives and channels enquiries to appropriate team members.