Condition Lookup
Sub-Category:
Structural and Functional Issues
Number of Conditions: 4
Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate
Specialty: Dental and Oral Health
Category: Other Oral Health Conditions
Sub-category: Structural and Functional Issues
Symptoms:
difficulty feeding; speech impairments; frequent ear infections; misaligned teeth
Root Cause:
Failure of tissue fusion during fetal development leads to a split in the lip or palate.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Prenatal ultrasound or clinical examination after birth.
Treatment:
Surgical correction, orthodontics, and speech therapy.
Medications:
Analgesics post-surgery and antibiotics for infection prevention.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Approximately 1 in 700 births worldwide.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Genetic predisposition, maternal smoking, alcohol use, certain medications during pregnancy.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Excellent with timely surgical intervention and therapy.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Speech delays, hearing loss, dental issues, psychosocial challenges.
Ankyloglossia (Tongue-Tie)
Specialty: Dental and Oral Health
Category: Other Oral Health Conditions
Sub-category: Structural and Functional Issues
Symptoms:
difficulty breastfeeding; speech problems; limited tongue mobility; difficulty licking or cleaning teeth
Root Cause:
Shortened lingual frenulum restricts tongue movement.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Physical examination of tongue movement and frenulum structure.
Treatment:
Frenotomy (simple surgical procedure to release the frenulum).
Medications:
Analgesics post-procedure if required.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Affects 4-10% of newborns.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Family history of tongue-tie.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Excellent with appropriate surgical intervention.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Feeding difficulties, speech issues, dental hygiene problems.
Macroglossia (Enlarged Tongue)
Specialty: Dental and Oral Health
Category: Other Oral Health Conditions
Sub-category: Structural and Functional Issues
Symptoms:
speech difficulties; difficulty chewing or swallowing; drooling; protrusion of the tongue; misaligned teeth
Root Cause:
Excessive growth or enlargement of tongue tissue due to congenital conditions, trauma, or systemic disorders.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Physical examination, imaging (MRI/CT scan), biopsy if an underlying tumor is suspected.
Treatment:
Treating underlying causes (e.g., hormone therapy for hypothyroidism), surgical reduction if severe.
Medications:
Hormone replacement therapy (if due to hypothyroidism), immunosuppressants (if due to inflammatory conditions).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare, commonly associated with syndromes like Down syndrome or Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Congenital syndromes, tumors, systemic conditions like hypothyroidism or amyloidosis.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Depends on severity; manageable with targeted treatment.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Speech impairment, airway obstruction, dental misalignment.
Speech Impairment Due to Oral Structure Abnormalities
Specialty: Dental and Oral Health
Category: Other Oral Health Conditions
Sub-category: Structural and Functional Issues
Symptoms:
difficulty articulating certain sounds; slurred speech; nasal-sounding speech
Root Cause:
Structural anomalies in the oral cavity, such as cleft palate, tongue-tie, or malocclusion, affecting speech production.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Speech evaluation, physical examination, imaging (if structural abnormalities are suspected).
Treatment:
Speech therapy, surgical correction of structural abnormalities, orthodontic treatment.
Medications:
Not applicable directly; post-surgical analgesics or antibiotics may be prescribed.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Variable, depending on the underlying structural anomaly; cleft palate affects 1 in 700 live births.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Congenital conditions, trauma, tumors, or poor oral hygiene leading to infections.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with early intervention and therapy.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Persistent speech issues, social and emotional challenges.