Current Environment:

Research

At Boston Children's Hospital, members of the Cleft and Craniofacial Center are currently working on research that examines ways to diagnose and treat deformities that affect the growth of the head and facial bones is currently underway.

Specifically, this research is currently focused on:

  • how and why craniofacial anomalies occur
  • what role genetics play in the development of certain deformities
  • what surgical treatments are most effective in removing and reducing craniofacial anomalies

Our goal: Research that will result in innovative treatments that will help your child recover faster.

Innovation

Dr. Lawrence L. Phan, DMD, is the staff prosthodontist in the Cleft and Craniofacial Center at Boston Children's Hospital. Dr. Phan attends our dental clinic every week to provide complete oral rehabilitation services to children from all over the world. These restorative services range from simple fillings, crowns, implants, and cosmetic procedures (bonding and bleaching), to complete mouth reconstruction.

Dr. Phan collaborates with team members in our Cleft and Craniofacial Center in order to help improve the conditions that interfere with a child’s oral health. Our physicians combine their special skills in order to create new smiles for children requiring rehabilitation after a traumatic injury as well as children who are born with genetic facial traits.

Working within Boston Children’s gives our faculty members a unique understanding of how certain medical conditions can interfere with a child’s oral health. In addition to cleft lip and cleft palate, ectodermal dysplasia, amelogenesis imperfecta, dentinogenesis imperfecta, we also have experience treating children with cystic fibrosis and cancer.

At Boston Children’s, we know that children with special medical needs also require special approaches to treatment. Our prosthodontist will work alongside pediatric dentists, oral surgeons, and orthodontists to follow your child through the stages of his or her dental care. This way, when your child is ready for prosthodontic treatment, he or she will already be comfortable and familiar with the clinician and our surrounding. In addition, the prosthodontist will have full knowledge about your child’s specific medical and behavioral concern and tailor treatment approaches accordingly.

Why choose Prosthodontic treatment?

You may want to visit a prosthodontist if your child has:

  • cleft lip and cleft palate
  • missing teeth
  • a condition that requires maxillofacial prosthetic procedure, such as oral cancer
  • TMD (TMJ) — jaw joint problems
  • snoring or sleep disorders