UF brings rare expertise in early cleft care to Florida babies
Experts in the University of Florida College of Dentistry, alongside UF Health craniofacial surgeons, have moved quickly to close this gap, custom-fabricating appliances that gently reshape infant faces before surgery — a pursuit that has, since this spring, provided previously out-of-reach care for many Florida families.
“Watching our residents collaborate with UF Health’s craniofacial team to help these children speak, smile and thrive instills immense pride,” said College of Dentistry Dean Isabel Garcia, D.D.S., M.P.H. “They play a vital role alongside surgeons, orthodontists and specialists, restoring function and hope.”
Florida’s hub for cleft care
Clefting of the lip and/or palate occurs in about 1 in 1,050 U.S. newborns, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Mi Sook Lee, D.M.D., M.S.D., Ph.D., a clinical assistant professor of pediatric dentistry at UF, has taken the lead in mastering the rare skill of customizing appliances for these infants. And pediatric dentistry residents Kaitria Abbatematteo, D.M.D., and Jonathan Sorsok, D.M.D., recently presented this pre-surgical infant orthopedics research at grand rounds.
“There are not a lot of craniofacial clinics throughout the state,” Abbatematteo said. “So we are the hub for a lot of these children.”
When an infant is born with a cleft lip and/or palate, time is critical. The treatment team has just six weeks to capitalize on a biological window when residual maternal estrogen makes infant cartilage most malleable.