A cleft palate and lip occur when palatal shelves fail to fully come together from either side of the mouth and fuse during the first months of development. In cases like this, nasoalveolar molding (NAM) might be recommended to treat your child.
A NAM is simply a retainer for a baby’s mouth that is adjusted weekly over a 3-6 month period of time. There’s no need to travel across the country either. NAM therapy is available right here in Lubbock at Double T Smiles.
By using the NAM appliance, Drs. Roger and Nadene Tipton are able to improve the baby’s nose shape and bring together the cleft segments prior to surgery. This type of therapy has been shown to improve the surgical results, along with potentially reducing the number of surgeries that the baby would need throughout his/her life.
Drs. Tipton received their training for NAM treatment at the New York University Medical Center in 2011 and work closely with the Lubbock Cleft Palate Team to deliver the best care to babies in Lubbock and surrounding areas.