Disorders of oral structures may be prenatal or postnatal in origin, and may be inherited or acquired. A congenital disease is one which occurs before or at birth, but it is not necessarily inherited.

Facial malformations result from fusion of maxillary and premaxillary processes between 5^th and 8^th weeks of fetal life. The incidence in general populations is 1 in 800 births. If a history of the abnormality exists in one parent there is about a 4% chance that the first child will have the defect.

Severe congenital abnormalities, such as cleft lip or cleft palate arise because of the failure of the facial processes to unite.

Statistically, cleft lip and cleft palate develop rather oftener than other abnormalities. It is more common in males. This condition is a serious handicap to the child and to the adult that he will become.

The treatment of cleft lip is a problem not for the dentist alone. He is only one member of a team that works together for maximum results. The plastic surgeon, the dentist, the speech therapist and psychotherapist must work together, each in his special field, to give the child with a cleft lip not only normal appearance but also the possibility of normal functioning.

Babies with a cleft palate may have a great deal of difficulty in swallowing and are often severely undernourished. Besides, this condition is accompanied by unsightliness and functional disturbances especially in mastication and phonation. It is more common in girls. Cleft palate may involve the soft and hard palate and may extend into the nose, forming an oronasal passageway. This abnormality produces malocclusion from displacement of the maxillary arch.

Disturbances in tooth structure involve enamel and dentine. Hypoplasia or defective enamel structure may ensue from the matrix formation. If the mineralizing mechanism is disrupted, hypomineralization will result.

Exercise 4.3. Insert the missing words from text A:

congenital abnormalities (x2); prenatal; malocclusion; cleft palate; congenital disease; facial malformations; postnatal; cleft lip; inherited; facial processes.

1) Disorders of oral structures may be ….. or ….. in origin. 2) Disorders of oral structures may be ….. or acquired. 3) A …. is one which occurs before or at birth. 4)  …. result from fusion of maxillary and premaxillary processes. 5) Cleft lip and cleft palate are severe ….. . 6) Congenital abnormalities arise because of the failure of the …. to unite. 7) …. is more common in boys. 8) …. is more common in girls. 9) Cleft palate produces ….. from displacement of the maxillary arch.

Exercise 4.4. Answer the questions:

1) What kind of disorders of oral structures are there? 2) What period of human life does a congenital disease occur at? 3) What do facial malformations result from? 4) Why do severe congenital abnormalities, such as cleft lip or cleft palate arise? 5) What congenital disorder is common in boys? In girls? 6) What specialists should work together to give the child with a congenital disorder normal appearance and the possibility of normal functioning? 7) What difficulties accompany cleft palate? 8) What tissues may cleft palate involve? 9) What abnormality produces malocclusion? 10) What dental tissues may tooth disturbances involve?

Malocclusion in children

Exercise 4.5. Learn the active vocabulary:

malocclusion – неправильный прикус

improper – неправильный

misalignment – несовпадение с осью

lead – приводить к ч-л.

complication – осложнение

crowded teeth – скученные зубы

crossbite – перекрестный прикус

overbite – глубокий прикус (верхние резцы закрывают нижние)

underbite – дистальный прикус

open bite – открытый прикус

heredity – наследственность

develop – развивать(ся)

determine – определять

inheritance – наследство, унаследование (признаков)

acquire – приобретать

thumb sucking – сосание большого пальца

tongue thrusting – давление языком

premature loss – преждевременная потеря

enlarge – увеличивать(ся)

adenoid – аденоид

occlusion – прикус зубов, окклюзия

alignment – выравнивание, совпадение

detect – обнаруживать, выявлять

classify – классифицировать

overlap – перекрывать

protrude – выступать

pacifier – соска-пустышка

braces – скобки, ортодонтические брекеты

wire – ортодонтическая проволока

plate – пластина

Exercise 4.6. Read text B and translate it into Russian: