Craniofacial and Special Care Orthodontics
Craniofacial orthodontics is the sub-specialty of orthodontics that focuses on the interdisciplinary treatment of patients born with facial differences like cleft lip and palate. These conditions often require a coordinated craniofacial orthodontic and surgical treatment in a team setting to achieve optimal outcome. Orthodontic treatments for patients born with facial differences are more complex than ordinary orthodontics. This multidisciplinary treatment often starts from birth and extends to the late teen years. The young patient may require treatment by multiple specialists, including a craniofacial surgeon, pediatrician, geneticist, neurosurgeon, ENT, speech and language therapist, pediatric dentist, oral surgeon and prosthodontist.
The Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery was a pioneer in establishing the first American Dental Association (ADA) approved Craniofacial Orthodontic sub-specialty program in the country. These services have been provided at NYU Langone Medical Center for over fifty years. The focus of the subspecialty of orthodontic treatment includes but is not limited to: patients born with cleft lip and palate, syndromic craniosynostosis (Aperts, Crouzon, Pfeiffer) and other craniofacial anomalies (Craniofacial microsomia, Goldenhar, Treacher Collins and Pierre Robin), dentofacial deformities, orthognathic surgery, distraction osteogenesis, nasoalveolar molding and special care orthodontics.
For children born with facial differences, orthodontic treatment may be initiated as early as 1 week after birth and may extend to completion of skeletal growth (ages 18-20years). The orthodontic treatment is provided in multiple short phases of clinical interventions that are closely coordinated with the craniofacial growth and development and surgical needs of the growing child.
Patients and parents may access additional resources related to the care of patients with facial difference by visiting the websites of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA) www.acpa-cpf.org and the Cleft Palate Foundation at http://www.cleftline.org
The Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery was a pioneer in establishing the first American Dental Association (ADA) approved Craniofacial Orthodontic sub-specialty program in the country. These services have been provided at NYU Langone Medical Center for over fifty years. The focus of the subspecialty of orthodontic treatment includes but is not limited to: patients born with cleft lip and palate, syndromic craniosynostosis (Aperts, Crouzon, Pfeiffer) and other craniofacial anomalies (Craniofacial microsomia, Goldenhar, Treacher Collins and Pierre Robin), dentofacial deformities, orthognathic surgery, distraction osteogenesis, nasoalveolar molding and special care orthodontics.
For children born with facial differences, orthodontic treatment may be initiated as early as 1 week after birth and may extend to completion of skeletal growth (ages 18-20years). The orthodontic treatment is provided in multiple short phases of clinical interventions that are closely coordinated with the craniofacial growth and development and surgical needs of the growing child.
Patients and parents may access additional resources related to the care of patients with facial difference by visiting the websites of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA) www.acpa-cpf.org and the Cleft Palate Foundation at http://www.cleftline.org