Not necessarily. A cleft of the soft palate is much less severe than a complete cleft of the hard and soft palate that also involves the alveolar margin (tooth-bearing) portion of the jaw where future dental and Orthodontic treatment is frequently necessary.

The answer like so many things medical is simply, it depends, much more often than not, even if the deformity does not obviously affect the bony skeleton of the face. Often, the dental issues show up much later. Typically, when teeth are erupting and the face is maturing. Children with cleft problems usually have to stay with their “team” of surgeons and dentisits for many years.

Yes, most cleft lip and palate patients need to see an orthodontist.

William A. Stefani, MD

Not all soft cleft palate surgeries require dental treatment. In a soft cleft palate there is a midline defect of the muscles, which failed to completely join at the correct positions during development. To see what is best for your child you will want to work with your board certified plastic surgeon. Your child may require dental or orthodontic treatment that will usually be something you can assess as they develop teeth.

The surgical repair of palatal clefts, even those of only the soft palate, are accompanied by orthodontic treatment. Surgically joining together the two sides of the palatal cleft causes a growth disturbance/constriction of the palate as a side effect of the repair which improves speech and feeding. Most often, these patients require the orthodontist to “expand” the palate with an orthodontic device to give normal occlusion — ie. To make sure the teeth fit together properly. This is very important to assure that the teeth have the best fit possible and normal “wear” over the years so that they stay healthy and last a lifetime.

It depends if the teeth and gum line are involved or not. If so, she probably will.