title: Tongue pearl: A novel technique for treatment of an infant with median facial cleft and microcephaly.
abstract: This case report illustrates the presurgical treatment of a patient having a median facial cleft and microcephaly, using a guidance appliance. The appliance was custom designed and modified with a pearl-like acrylic structure attached to its lingual surface for pushing the extremely protruded tongue back to its normal position to facilitate anesthesia and surgical lip closure. Total treatment time was 5 weeks. Regaining normal tongue position, in turn, facilitated both intubation and extubation, preventing the postoperative respiratory distress the authors had experienced with similar cases.
authors: Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, P.O. Box 3414, New Campus, Ring Road, Egypt.
authors: Sherif Essam
authors: SE
authors: Zahra
authors: Mamdouh Aboul
authors: MA
authors: Hassan
keywords: Guidance appliance; Median facial cleft; Microcephaly; Presurgical orthodontic treatment
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