Every person deserves a beaming smile, but this can be hard for those born with a cleft lip and cleft palate. Thanks to modern medicine, you can now easily correct these conditions through surgical procedures.
However, resting after these cleft lip and cleft palate surgical procedures is crucial. Exercises that tone your face, including mewing, can play a huge role in a proper recovery after a cleft palate and lip surgical operation.
To speed up the process, you can take the following quiz and get your personalized workout plan.
Today, we’ll learn:
- 🧾 The causes behind a cleft lip and who’s most at risk of getting it
- 🔎 Eight recovery tips to help you on your healing journey after cleft palate and lip surgery
- 📚 How mewing helps treat a cleft lip and cleft palate
Let’s dive in!
What Is a Cleft Lip?
Despite the disinformation surrounding it, a cleft lip and cleft palate are not autism.
A cleft lip is a congenital disorder characterized by a slit or opening in the upper lip that can happen if the facial structures, such as the tissue of the lip, don’t join together properly before birth. In some cases, the condition can affect the hard and soft palate as well.
The split or opening can range from a small notch in the lip to a large opening that enters the nose.
The cleft lip condition is more common than you may think – in the US, every 1 in 2,800 babies is born with a cleft lip. It’s mostly boys with this condition – usually those with Van der Woude syndrome.
Causes Behind a Cleft Lip in Adults
The exact cause behind a cleft lip and cleft palate is still unknown, but they’re most likely a combination of genetic factors – such as family history – and environmental factors.
Let’s take a look at some of the factors leading to cleft lip and who’s most at risk:
- Smoking cigarettes, using alcohol, or taking medications during pregnancy.
- Practicing poor nutrition and hydration during pregnancy, such as diets that lack iron, calcium, and zinc.
- Having a baby with a lip and cleft palate is more likely if the condition runs in the family. If you’re worried about this, try genetic counseling to check which medical conditions run in your family history.
- Maternal stress can also be a causal factor for a cleft lip, which is why a pregnant woman should always manage her stress levels.
Cleft lip and cleft palate are two different conditions that can often occur together. Sometimes, they can be accompanied by incompetent lips.
Leaving these conditions untreated isn’t recommended, as they can lead to numerous complications.
Challenges Faced by Adults Having a Cleft Lip or Cleft Palate
Cleft lip adults can face a number of challenges due to their condition, which can affect their day-to-day life. These include:
Physical Challenges
Some of the physical challenges concerning a cleft palate or lip include:
- Eating Difficulties. The separation in the upper lip and palate can affect your ability to suck, chew, and swallow and can also affect your nose.
- Speech Issues. Cleft lip and palate can result in speech difficulties, such as having a hard time forming words. It’s possible also to develop a muffled voice quality and a thin voice.
- Dental Problems. If you have a cleft lip and palate, you’ve probably faced dental problems throughout your life. Some of these problems include missing or growing extra teeth, misalignment of teeth, as well as gum swelling and infection.Most individuals with cleft lip and cleft palate also have nasal airway impairment, causing them to breathe through their mouths. Considering this, you should inform yourself how mouth breathing affects your face.
Emotional Challenges
Some of the emotional challenges concerning a cleft palate or lip include:
- Self-Esteem. Sadly, cleft lip and cleft palate can cause you to feel insecure about your appearance, resulting in low self-esteem.
- Social Interaction. The condition can also impact how you communicate with others, as children with cleft lip and cleft palate often experience social stigma and are bullied by their peers.
- Mental Health. Coping with low self-esteem due to cleft lip and cleft palate can be challenging and can sometimes lead to depression or anxiety. If you’re experiencing such symptoms, seeking and showing emotional support is vital.
Options for Treating Cleft Lip and Palate
The cleft lip and palate condition is primarily a physical condition that affects the facial structures. However, it can sometimes impact the brain and cognitive function, especially if accompanied by other developmental deformities.
While there are many ways to reduce lip asymmetry, dealing with cognitive issues can be more challenging. As such, most patients take the cleft lip and cleft palate surgery route.
Let’s take a look at some of the options useful for treating your cleft lip before and after surgery:
- Surgical procedure. This is the primary and most effective treatment for cleft lip and palate. This procedure is called palatoplasty and is usually performed in babies ten to twelve months old. Besides this, you can also consider undergoing plastic surgery.However, patients that have undergone surgical procedures for cleft palate and lip as children might still need ongoing treatment. If postoperative care isn’t provided, the wound can lead to a surgical site infection.
- Orthodontic Care. Because cleft lip and cleft palate can result in dental issues, receiving dental care is important. You might need orthodontic appliances such as braces or plates, which can serve as open bite treatment options and can straighten your teeth.
- Speech Therapy. If you have a cleft lip and cleft palate, you’ll probably need speech therapy to help you with normal speech development. Your speech therapist will work with you and provide you with guidance and support.
Recovery Tips After Cleft Lip Surgery
Sure, resting is one way to recover from a cleft lip repair, but you shouldn’t just leave it at that. It’s important to also try other treatments for cleft palate and lip to recover faster, especially if you’re a cleft lip adult.
It’s time for you to get to know the mewing strengths, along with other natural ways to deal with post-operative complications and wound care!
1. Mewing Technique
While mewing can help you achieve the jawline of your dreams, it’s also a useful technique when it comes to post-cleft lip and palate repair. Mewing helps to improve lips and release the tension you might feel around your lip and jawline due to the medical operation.
The technique is very easy to do and involves pressing the tongue on the roof of your mouth to apply pressure. Starting today, download the Mewing.coach app, learn everything about mewing, and improve your physical appearance as well as your mental health!
2. Pain Management
After the procedure for treating your cleft lip, your surgeon will prescribe medications to help you manage pain and discomfort. You can also take matters into your own hands and apply ice packs to the affected area after primary repair to help you reduce the pain and possible swelling on your upper lip.
3. Nutrition and Hydration
Maintaining a healthy diet and staying hydrated is paramount. After a cleft lip and cleft palate surgical procedure, you should drink plenty of fluid and eat food that is easy to digest, such as fruit, vegetables, and soups.
4. Oral Hygiene
To promote healing after a cleft lip and cleft palate surgical operation, maintaining oral hygiene is crucial. This means brushing your teeth regularly, rinsing your mouth with a saltwater solution, and using antiseptic mouthwash.
5. Getting Enough Sleep
Don’t forget to get enough sleep, as this can speed up the process of cleft lip and cleft palate repair. Your surgeon will probably recommend sleeping hours, along with sleeping positions. Additionally, keep in mind that excessive caffeine won’t help you and is best avoided!
6. Speech Exercises
Speech exercises after a cleft lip and cleft palate operation can significantly improve your speech and reduce any speech problems. These include exercises for your tongue and lip, breathing exercises, and articulation exercises.
7. Attend Follow-Up Appointments
The cleft palate and lip surgical procedure itself might be over, but this doesn’t mean you should stop visiting your doctor. Following the cleft lip fix, attending follow-up appointments afterward is crucial in promoting healing. Additionally, you can take part in support groups to help you get over the situation faster.
8. Alternative Physical Activities
Besides all of the above mentioned, you can engage in alternative physical activity to help you recover after a cleft lip and cleft palate operation. You can start with short walks and avoid strenuous activities at any cause.
Take a quick quiz to receive a workout program to improve your jaw, facial muscles and overall appearance.
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Can You Live a Normal Life With a Cleft Lip?
A cleft lip doesn’t affect your life expectancy, but the condition can cause challenges such as speech and dental problems and decreased social interactions.
If you’re scared about your baby, you can get a prenatal diagnosis to help you determine if the fetus has certain abnormalities. In fact, the lack of such diagnoses can lead to problems down the line, especially in countries where such care is practically a luxury. However, if you’re an adult with a cleft lip or cleft palate, the most effective thing to do is schedule a surgical procedure.
Key Takeaway
Taking everything into account, the recovery process after a cleft lip and cleft palate surgical procedure can be a lengthy journey. While the procedure can help improve the appearance, proper rehabilitation is needed to achieve better outcomes.
Scar tissue, among many others, is the most common concern after a cleft lip and cleft palate operation. For that reason, treating the affected area properly and taking care of your physical and mental health is a must!
