Dental Needs

For children with clefts, specialized dental care often begins shortly after birth and continues at least through adolescence. The PEDODONTIST is sometimes consulted to help evaluate early feeding problems, and to determine whether dental appliances can aid in feeding or ready the mouth for future surgical repair.

The pedodontist continues to evaluate the child's dental needs until adulthood, providing routine dental needs until adulthood, providing routine dental care, attending to restorative needs, and monitoring the overall growth of the dental structures.

The ORTHODONTIST monitors the positions of the teeth and jaw segments. If necessary, he may realign teeth to create a functional and aesthetic bite.

The ORAL SURGEON works with the PLASTIC SURGEON, and with orther members of the dental team, to correct abnormalities of the jaw and alveolus through surgery.

The PROSTHODONTIST provides temporary and permanent artificial parts for missing, misshappen and deficient oral structures.

The PERIODONTIST evaluates and tends to the care and treatment of the gums.

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