Cleft Lip and Palate Program

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Cleft Lip and Palate Program

To restore a child's smile and find their voice, experience matters and compassion counts

ACPA Approved Team logo

We are by your side, from birth to adulthood, to offer expert advice and support. Your team may include a pediatric plastic and craniofacial surgeon, an oral surgeon, a dentist, a pediatric orthodontist, an ENT provider (otolaryngologist), a psychologist, a social worker and a geneticist. Because we have all of these specialists under one roof, there is no better place to receive nurturing, expert care to minimize stress and maximize positive results.

Dallas

214-456-2240
Fax: 214-456-8881
Ste F6400

Request an Appointment with codes: Plastics and Craniofacial Surgery

Refer a Patient with Cleft Lip and Palate Program

Accepted Insurance Plans

Conditions We Treat

Treatments and Services

after photo of a child treated for cleft lip Before
before photo of a child with a cleft lip
After

Cleft Lip Before & After Photos

Picturing what children look like after surgery gives our families hope and great expectations. Meet some of our patients who face the world with confidence today and tomorrow after comprehensive, personalized care. When your child is treated for a cleft lip and/or palate, you can expect holistic, compassionate care.

  • Unilateral Cleft lip is the most common type of cleft lip condition that extends from the lip up to the nose and/or soft palate.
  • Bilateral Cleft Lip affects both sides and the front portion of the gums.

See More Before & After Photos

Proactive care starts with neonatal consults

Our Cleft team will likely first meet your child before birth. At just a few days old, the care plan begins and you may meet with our orthodontics team to discuss whether a pre-surgery Nasoalveolar Molding (NAM)  device can optimize your child’s outcome. At 4-6 weeks, we begin discussing options for surgery, which is usually performed when your child is 3 months old. Oftentimes, we can start treatment within 2 weeks.

Appointments that cater to you

To ease the burden on you and your family, each member of your multidisciplinary team will rotate through your room in our child-friendly clinic setting. After the appointment, the team gathers around the table to discuss your child’s case. Together we will develop an integrated approach that addresses all of your child’s needs. We are devoted to creating a customize care plan and walking beside you each step that you take on this journey.

Have questions about your upcoming visit? Learn more about what to expect before, during and after your cleft lip and palate appointment.

All of her doctors communicate with each other, and they can know what is going on in her world, because it’s not just about one specialist.
Molly's mom

Advanced care through every stage of life with bilingual experts by your side

Because cleft lip and palate can cause a range of health issues, our team is standing by to help with any need that may arise. When your child is born, we will closely monitor his or her feeding schedule and weight gain. We embrace your child from birth to adulthood with dental care, psychosocial support and speech therapy provided by certified Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs). To better serve all of our patients, we are proud to be the only cleft program in North Texas with a speech language pathologist on staff who speaks Spanish.

A recognized leader in care

Our cleft and craniofacial team is composed of multiple specialists and is fully approved by the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association’s Commission on Approval of Teams.

Children’s Health is the only ACPA-approved team in North Texas with the largest cleft team in the region performing more cleft related surgery than any other team in the region.

Meet the Care Team

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