Treatment usually begins in infancy and often continues through early adulthood. Although some children need to have another procedure on their lips and/or nose before they begin school, or as they enter adolescence, other children never need further surgery.
Children whose cleft lips involve the alveolus, or gum line, typically need another operation to help their permanent teeth come in and to make it easier for orthodontic treatments to improve their bite and jaw function. This operation is called an alveolar bone graft, and is usually performed when the child is 8 to 10 years old.