The cleft multidisciplinary team

Abstract

Patients born with cleft lip and/or palate require specialist dental treatment throughout life. Specialist pathways ensure that all patients born in the UK with cleft lip and/or palate receive the appropriate medical and dental treatment from birth to adulthood. The promotion and maintenance of good oral hygiene in these patients is essential for the successful outcome of their treatment. Dental nurses trained in oral health and fluoride application play a pivotal role in educating these patients about oral and dental health. This article describes the role of the dental nurse in the cleft multidisciplinary team.

Background

Cleft lip and/or palate (CLP) defects are congenital abnormalities which affect around 1 in 700 live births in the UK every year.¹CLP occurs in early pregnancy (around five-to-nine weeks) because the palate or lip fails to fuse during facial development. The upper lip develops in three parts and the palate develops in two halves which fuse together at around eight weeks in-utero. CLP occurs when these separate parts fail to join. The severity of the cleft will depend on where the failure of development occurs, and may affect the lip, palate, alveolus or all three sites (Figure 1).