Care for Cleft Palate, Lip and Dental

When your child is born with a cleft lip or cleft palate, or has special dental needs, our pediatric dentists and plastic surgeons can help. Repairing your child’s cleft lip or cleft palate takes special care and often, several surgeries.

Our plastic surgeons and dentists will care for your child at the Cleft and Craniofacial Clinic (operated by Easter Seals of Eastern Pennsylvania) at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network’s dental services at Lehigh Valley Hospital—17th and Chew in Allentown.

They will perform a series of surgeries to provide your child the safest and best care for cleft lips and palates.

At 3 months of age, repair the lip. Surgery is performed to repair the lip under the nose, rather than through a triangle incision on the lip. This closes the gap and reduces scarring. Further repair could be needed if the nose is cleft as well.

At 10-12 months of age, repair the palate. Muscles are lengthened horizontally across the palate, and tissue from the palate is used to close the hole and help correct speech.

At 7-10 years of age, repair of dental area. Bone is taken from the child’s hip and implanted in the mouth to support the growth of teeth. In most cases, the child is home the next day.

During adolescence, some children benefit from a final surgery to correct the relationship of the upper and lower jaws and perfect the shape of the nose.

Care for Children’s Teeth

We have two pediatric dentists who offer comprehensive dental care to children including those with special dental needs. These include very young children with baby-bottle tooth decay and other problems with baby teeth, as well as older children and adolescents. We also have pediatric dentists who specialize in restoring teeth that are damaged or missing.

Does Your Child Need Surgery?

We have the area's only pediatric surgeons. Learn more about the surgeries we offer here, close to home. More >>

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