Nasoalveolar Molding and Long-Term Postsurgical Esthetics for Unilateral Cleft Lip/Palate: 5-Year Follow-Up

The nasoalveolar molding (NAM) technique has been shown to significantly improve the surgical outcome of the primary repair in cleft lip and palate patients. A 6‐day‐old female infant was managed with the presurgical NAM technique. Periodic adjustments of the appliance were continued every week to mold the nasoalveolar complex into the desired shape for the next 5 months. The 13 mm of alveolar cleft width was reduced to 1.5 mm. The depressed nostril on the cleft side was molded into the normal anatomy. The nose and upper lip were surgically repaired at the age of 5 months. The second stage surgery of palatal closure was performed at the age of 18 months. The patient was followed up regularly at 6‐month intervals for the next 5 years.