Cleft Lip and Palate Center

Cleft Molding Therapy

Before some babies can have surgery to repair a cleft they may benefit from molding therapy to bring the left and right sides closer together. Some molding therapies require surgery; however, their purpose is still to prepare the structures for a definitive surgery that can close the gaps.

Nasoalveolar Molding (NAM)

This type of molding therapy is performed by our orthodontist and plastic surgeon for newborns with a wide, complete cleft lip and cleft palate. NAM is an appliance, similar to a retainer, that helps bring the parts of the cleft closer together. NAM helps reshape the nose in preparation for cleft lip/nasal repair. After you child has their NAM appliance, they will have appointments every 1 to 2 weeks for adjustments until they are ready for cleft lip repair.

Lip Taping

This is an alternative to NAM for smaller clefts or for babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Lip taping brings the lips and gums closer together. Our team will show caregivers how to apply the tape and other details to help this therapy prepare the baby for surgical repair of the cleft.

Cleft Lip Adhesion

This is an alternative to NAM in children with very wide, complete clefts. It is a surgery that brings the parts of the cleft closer together in preparation for their definitive cleft lip repair. During cleft lip adhesion, silicone stents may be placed in the nose and kept in place until cleft is repaired. This surgery usually requires a 1-night stay in the hospital.

Dynacleft

Dynacleft is for babies that have wide and/or flattened nostril along the cleft side. The combination of tape and intranasal mold guide the nostril into a better position to improve nasal symmetry before cleft repair.