Description

The book focuses on Cleft Lip and Palate (CLP)-a congenital craniofacial deformity affecting appearance, feeding, speech, hearing, and psychology. It begins with the epidemiology, etiology, embryology, and classification of CLP, highlighting both genetic and environmental risk factors. The text discusses complications such as dental anomalies, speech and hearing impairments, nutritional challenges, and psychosocial issues. Treatment considerations are described across different growth stages, with early interventions like presurgical orthopedics and Nasoalveolar Molding (NAM) playing a crucial role. NAM, a passive orthopedic appliance, reduces cleft severity, aligns alveolar segments, reshapes nasal cartilage, and improves surgical outcomes while minimizing scarring and revision surgeries. The work details fabrication, objectives, benefits, drawbacks, techniques, and complications of NAM. Overall, this book underscores that early intervention, coordinated multidisciplinary care, and presurgical NAM therapy greatly enhance functional, esthetic, and psychological outcomes for CLP patients, improving long-term quality of life.