Cleft palatal and lip – Consideration about interdisciplinary treatament

Vol. 1 – Number 2 – 2008 Pages 173-177 Cleft palatal and lip – Consideration about interdisciplinary treatament Marcelo da Luz Silva Lima, Specialist in Orthodontics – ULBRA. Canoes – RS. Luciane Quadrado Closs, PhD in Orthodontics from UNESP – Araraquara, Master in Orthodontics from the University of Detroit (USA), professor of the Postgraduate Program at ULBRA. Canoes – RS. Ivana Ardenghi Vargas, Master in Orthodontics from UFRJ, PhD student in the Postgraduate Program at ULBRA. Canoes – RS. Daniela Frantz Nobre, Master in Orthodontics from PUC – RS, professor of the graduate program at ULBRA. Canoes – RS. The aim of this paper is to review the etiology, prevalence, embriology and the most utilized treatment protocols for the cleft lip and palate. The cleft lip and palate occur by the lack of coalescence between the embrionary facial process(mandibular, maxillary and nasal) and palatines(primary and secondary palates). All racial and etnic groups, independently of the gender and geographic areas may be affected by these anomalies due to is multifatorial etiology. In Brazil it is observed in 1:650 cases per birth. The classification proposed by SPINA et al. (1) and modified by SILVA FILHO et al. (2), having incisor foramen as a reference point, facilitated the comprehension and universal communication between the team that participate in the care of the cleft and lip patient. Treatment for these anomalies require a multidisciplinar team approach. Despite the fact that there are several protocols for the rehabilitation of these patients, treatment centers should have a conscious, consistent interdisciplinary philosophy, where the patient should be treated instead of the cleft. Key-words: cleft lip and palate, treatment, interdisciplinary.