Cleft Palate- An Overview

A cleft palate (palatoschisis) is a fissure in the roof of the oral cavity. It is usually a congenital deformity that leads to abnormal communication between the oral and nasal cavities. Problems are cosmetic, dental, speech, swallowing, hearing, facial growth, emotional. The zones involved by common oral clefts are upper lip, alveolar ridge, hard palate and soft palate. More than 50% are combined clefts of lip and palate and about one-fourth are bilateral. The psychological and socio-economic handicap of oral clefts may be severe. It is a deformity that can be seen, felt and heard, and constitutes a crippling affliction.This book gives an overview of cleft palate starting from history to current treatment options.