Glossary

An operation in which some of the lower lip tissue is transferred to the repaired upper lip in order to achieve a fuller upper lip area. It is usually done when the upper lip repair is too tight.
 

Attention Deficit Disorder.
 

The cartilage that forms the tip of the nose and the nostrils.
 

The condition in which one or both sides of the upper gum move to the center, behind the premaxilla, disrupting the normal dental arch.
 

(Alveolar Process, Alveolar Ridge) The part of the bony upper jaw that contains teeth (the upper gum).
 

Apraxia is a motor speech disorder which affects voluntary or learned motor acts. Caused by any damage or accident to the area of the brain responsible for performing these acts, apraxia may or may not exist with a language disorder and can effect any part of the body. Apraxia can be oral, verbal, or developmental.
 

Apraxia can also occur developmentally in children, as noted by awkward speech movements that cannot be connected to dysarthria. Symptoms may include difficulty initiating speech, difficulty sequencing speech sounds, and oral struggle behaviors. Children with developmental apraxia may not show evidence of a brain lesion, while adults always do.
 

In oral apraxia the patient has, difficulty performing non-speech tasks with muscles in the larynx, pharynx, tongue, or cheeks. Reflexive or automatic tasks are intact, but the patient is usually unable to carry out specific directions when asked. Symptoms may include difficulty initiating speech, difficulty sequencing speech sounds and oral struggle behaviors.
 

Verbal apraxia is defined as difficulty executing the appropriate movements for speech when paralysis, weakness, or in coordination exist. As a result, apraxic patients may have extreme difficulty making speech movements. Such impairments may lead to the omission, distortion, or replacement of certain sounds. Errors seem to increase as the length of the word or utterance increases, and initiating speech can be almost impossible. Repetition of phrases may be inconsistent and overall quality of sound may be poor.
 

The horseshoe shape of the upper gum.
 

The process of forming speech sounds.
 

A hearing test.
 

Bone transplant material that is harvested from the patient's own body.
 

A cleft that occurs on both sides of the lip.
 

Bone marrow material used in bone graft surgery.
 

Central Auditory Nervous System Function
 

Central Auditory Processing Disorder
 

Surgery to close a cleft lip.
 

A split or opening (in the lip or palate or both).
 

The cochlear implant is a prosthetic replacement for the inner ear, or cochlea. It bypasses damaged parts of the inner ear and electronically stimulates the auditory nerve. Part of the device is surgically implanted in the skull behind the ear and tiny electrode wires are inserted into the cochlea. The other part of the device is external and has a microphone, a speech processor (to convert sound into electrical impulses), and connecting cables.
 

The outer portion of the nose that divides the nostrils.
 

A cleft that extends through the entire affected mouth structure.
 

TEETH (Primary, Baby Teeth) The teeth that are expected to come out as a part of normal development.
 

Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia (also known as developmental apraxia of speech and as oral motor planning disorder).
 

The tube that connects the middle ear to the back of the throat.
 

An abnormal reopening occurring after surgical repair of the palate.
 

Greater than normal nasal resonance during speech.
 

The point that divides the primary palate (lip and gum) from the secondary palate (hard and soft palates).
 

A method of treating cleft lip and palate in which several medical, dental, speech, and hearing specialists work together, coordinating their efforts and planning a coordinated treatment.
 

A structure located at the top of the trachea that produces sound; the voice box.
 

The two side segments of the bony upper jaw, or upper gum ridge.
 

Muscles the lift or elevate, such as those found in the soft palate.
 

Basically, our face is formed out of three plates that move toward center during gestation. If they fuse normally, the place where they join forms the philitrim lines (those straight lines that make up the cupid's bow).
 

A poor relationship of the upper teeth to the lower teeth during bite.
 

The lower jaw (chin).
 

The bony upper jaw.
 

A procedure in which the maxilla is moved forward in order to achieve a more normal profile of the midface.
 

A very rare cleft condition in which a cleft occurs in the midline of the face. Most often occurring as a part of some other syndrome.
 

The time during which you have some baby teeth and some permanent teeth.
 

A procedure in which a tiny incision is made in the eardrum to allow the release of pressure caused by excess fluid. This procedure is other combined with the insertion of myringotomy tubes.
 

The wings or sides of the nostril.
 

The internal structure that divides the nasal cavity.
 

The area that makes up the back of the throat.
 

A retainer-like device sometimes worn over the cleft of the hard palate to aid in feeding and speech development.
 

The relationship between the upper and lower teeth when they are in contact.
 

The muscle that surrounds the mouth and makes up the upper and lower lips.
 

An inflammation of the middle ear caused by infection, allergy, or improper functioning of the Eustachian tube.
 

A surgical procedure in which tissue from the front part of the mouth is moved back to lengthen it.
 

The roof of the mouth, made up of the hard and soft palates.
 

The shape of the palate gives you the right shape for tongue placement during speech. The palate is hard and bony from the gums to just past mid-point where the bony ridge gives way to soft tissue - the soft palate or velum. The soft palate goes beyond where you can feel it with your tongue and will reach all the way to the back of your throat if you want to make it do so. Normal palates have an arch to them, but a "High arched palate" has an exaggerated arch and can even be steepled. There is no cleft there, in that there is no hole, but the palate also in incapable of functioning the way a "normal" palate functions.
 

The surgical closure of the cleft palate.
 

A cleft that extends through part of the affected structure.
 

Relating to the pharynx or back of the throat.
 

Pieces of tissue or other substances used in the back of the throat to reduce the distance that the soft palate must move to achieve normal closure during speech.
 

A procedure in which the surgeon creates a flap of tissue that connects the soft palate to the back wall of the throat to improve closure during speech.
 

The middle of the upper lip located above the vermilion and bordered on either side by soft ridges, or Philtrum lines (the "Cupid's Bow").
 

The front central section of the upper gum, containing the four upper front teeth.
 

The initial surgery to repair a cleft lip or palate.
 

The front portion of the upper lip. The prolabium is the detached part of the upper lip in the case of a bilateral cleft lip, often looking like a bubble of flesh.
 

Cavities (i.e., mouth, nose, throat) that can be used to change the nature of speech sounds.
 

Bone graft surgery.
 

Surgery done after primary surgery to improve appearance or to correct additional problems.
 

A device inserted into the mouth to achieve closure and aid in speech.
 

A cleft affecting the muscles that attach in the middle of the soft palate, but not affecting the skin covering. A submucous cleft is often misdiagnosed because it is not visibly apparent except for a possible tiny cleft of the uvula.
 

TTY/TTDs are devices that use a keyboard to transmit, receive and display telephone calls.
 

A cleft that occurs on only the right or left Side of the lip.
 

The "punching bag" in the back of the throat.
 

Made when the soft palate is raised to contact the back wall of the throat. Closure is necessary for speech, blowing, and swallowing.
 

The condition in which the patient is unable to achieve closure between the mouth and nose because of a weakened or inadequately formed structure.
 

The soft palate.
 

The dark pink tissue that makes up the lip.