A CDE on "Cleft Lip and Palate – Interdisciplinary Management" was organized by the Department of Orthodontics, MCODS, 沙巴体育 on 29 June 2023.

The resource person, Dr. Manish Valiathan, is an alumnus and adjunct faculty of the department. He is currently the program director for craniofacial and special needs orthodontics, at the School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Ohio. Dr. Valiathan discussed neonatal cleft lip and palate treatment by Nasoalveolar moulding with the conventional methods and elaborated on the use of a digital workflow including thermoformed appliances. Various advantages and disadvantages of Infant orthopedics prior to lip repair were highlighted and the importance of preserving arch integrity was emphasized. The timing for alveolar bone grafting in cleft palate patients with expansion appliances was discussed with the help of clinical cases and 3D imaging.?Dr. Valiathan then explained adolescent and adult cleft lip and palate management and focused on enhancing the quality of life by emphasizing the airway, mastication, and other oral functions.?He discussed several complex cases treated by his experienced team.

The speaker, Dr. Adarsh Kudva who is an alumnus, is currently serving as a Professor in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at our institute. He delivered the second lecture, titled "Surgical Management of Cleft Lip and Palate Anomalies," where we reviewed the gross unilateral and bilateral anatomy of a cleft palate, the timing and methodology of cleft lip repair, including the fundamentals of suturing techniques such as Millard's lip repair and Fisher's technique. Dr. Kudva presented numerous cases of isolated cleft palate and the syndromes associated and also enlightened us about its management from an Oral and maxillofacial surgeon's perspective.

The post-lunch session observed a chair-side?discussion on cleft palate cases undergoing treatment in the department. The residents had an opportunity to review and exchange views with Dr. Manish on the ongoing cleft treatment cases.