Special Needs Dentistry

Cleft Lip, Cleft Palate, and Craniofacial Anomaly Treatment

As part of his training in Prosthodontics at the University of Michigan, Dr. Herman Kupeyan gained experience in the Cleft Lip and Palate Clinic. Initially, with the introduction of dental implants in 1982, he was involved with treating adult patients confronted with oral manifestations. This interest led him to participate in the Windsor and Essex community clinic at the John McGivney Children’s Centre.

One in every 700 infants in Ontario is born with a cleft of the lip and/or palate or other craniofacial anomaly. These conditions can be corrected through surgery, specialized dental treatment and speech therapy.

A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Treatment

The individual with a cleft lip and/or palate, craniofacial syndrome or severe dental dysfunction may be faced with significant dental concerns affecting the tooth and bone structure in addition to feeding difficulties, middle ear problems and speech and language issues.

Rehabilitation services for these conditions require the expertise of a multi-disciplinary team of medical, dental and other specialists. The complex nature of these conditions and the impact of growth and development on treatment outcomes may necessitate a number of rehabilitation services between birth and adulthood.

The assessment team may include the following professionals:

• Audiologist
• Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Surgeon
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
• Orthodontist
• Paediatric Dentist
• Plastic Surgeon
• Prosthodontist
• Psychologist
• Social Worker
• Speech and Language Pathologist

Dr Kupeyan is involved with the prosthodontic section and is honored to be involved with such a great team to provide this service in his community.

Snydromes That Can Cause Dental Issues

• Cleft Lip
• Cleft Palate
• Amelogenesis
• Goldenhar Syndrome
• Microdontia
• Williams Syndrome
• Marfan Syndrome
• 22q Deletion Syndrome

Before and After Special Needs Dental Rehabilitation