Arch expansion using niti palatal expander in cleft lip and palate patient: A case report

• Author Details:   
• Shivangi Mittal ^*
• Dhruv Yadav
• Vijay Agarwal
• Karamdeep Singh Ahluwalia
• Lokendra Singh Dagur
• Rekha Sharma

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Cleft lip and palate (CLP) are one of the most common congenital malformations that can occur together or in isolation due to genetic and environmental factors. Presence of scar tissue (result from surgery) is a cause of occurrence of multiple dental problems and skeletal discrepancies. CLP is also associated with speech and hearing problems and it requires complex multidisciplinary treatment and has lifelong implications for affected individuals. Management starts soon after birth and involves a series of treatments during first 20 years of life. Orthodontics burden of care for these patients is high and the duration of treatment will depend upon the diagnosis and pattern of jaw growth and need for Orthognathic surgery. The present case report describes the orthodontic treatment of a 17 years old female patient with presence of cleft lip and palate on left side using Nickel Titanium (NiTi) Palatal Expander. The objective of presenting this case report is to discuss the clinical features and management strategies associated with unilateral cleft lip and palate.