Orthodontic treatment in adults with cleft lip and palate.

A conventional orthodontic treatment method for typical malocclusions of adult patients will be described. Over 100 patients have undergone this treatment during the last decade in our cleft centre. The method involves four stages: I) orthodontics, expansion of the upper dental arch with modified quad-helix and edge-wise appliances and alignment of the teeth; II) bone grafting and closure of the oronasal fistula; III) prosthodontics, bridgework in the upper dental arch; IV) soft tissue correction of the lip and nose. The method is easy, cheap, safe and rapid enough if the forces of the quad-helix appliance are modified individually. The orthodontic, surgical and prosthodontic treatment result in a permanently balanced dental occlusion.