A Feeding Appliance for an Infant with Cleft Palate

Abstract

Cleft palate and cleft lip are the most common congenital deformities involving the orofacial region. One of the most important problems with this deformation is difficulties with feeding due to lack of sufficient negative intraoral pressure which prevents regurgitation of food into the nasal cavity. Cleft lip and cleft palate can be surgically treated but repair of the palate is usually delayed until 6 months to 2 years of age. Early repair of the palate may have a negative effect on the growth and development of maxilla due to the resulting scar tissue. This article presents the Prosthodontic management of an infant with a cleft palate through fabricating a feeding plate (palatal obturator). Keywords: Cleft palate, Feeding plate, Palatal obturator