Describing cleft lip and palate using a new expression system.

The wide spectrum of variations in the types of cleft lip and cleft palate has made standardized and inclusive classification difficult. This article introduces a new method for recording all types of cleft lip and cleft palate for data storage and communication. The proposed Expression System incorporates the actual words for the anatomical structures affected by clefts and can describe in a quickly understood form, without the need to consult reference materials, the location and extent of both typical and atypical clefts. The Expression System overcomes several limitations of previous cleft registration methods, and its simplicity and precision will benefit dental and medical specialists by furthering inter- and intradisciplinary communication.