Prosthetic Rehabilitation Of Cleft Compromised Newborns: A Review

Cleft lip and palate is the most common congenital defect which affects the orofacial region. The treatment objective for patients with these defects is to restore the normal anatomy and function of the affected structures. Surgical closure of the defect is a viable option, but often, the approximation of the palatine halves has to be first achieved with orthopaedic appliances. A variety of appliances have been described for maxillary orthopaedics in infants. For the fabrication of such appliances, an impression of the defect is necessary. Impression making in infants with cleft lip and palate is a challenging task. This article briefly describes the appliances which are used for infant maxillary orthopaedics and the impression procedure for recording the defect.