The word craniofacial is made up of two words: cranio—of the cranium (bones that enclose the brain), and facial—of the face. You may sometimes hear the word craniomaxillofacial used. The “maxillo” part simply adds reference to the maxillae, or jaws.

Craniofacial deformities can result from a problem in the normal growth pattern of the face and skull. What we call “normal” involves rapid growth of the upper third area of the skull in the first 12 months of life, when the brain experiences its greatest rate of growth. The middle and lower face grow more slowly, tending to reach maturity in adolescence.

The Palate

The firm area formed by the roof of the mouth is the hard palate. The soft palate hangs from the back. The U-shaped part at the center is called the uvula.

The Skull
Although it looks as though the skull is one large bone, it is really made up of several different bones. These bony plates cover the brain, and their connections are known as sutures.


Anatomy

The best way to understand the craniofacial area is to look at it in thirds:

Upper Third

At birth, sutures separate the plates of the skull. As the brain grows, the skull expands by adding more bone at the sutures. If any of these plates fuse together prematurely, an abnormal head shape results. Therefore, the ideal time to perform surgery to correct such deformities is in the first few months of life.

Middle Third

A lack of forward growth is most often seen in the midsection of the face. The midface area can also have bite deformities, which can produce breathing, speech and chewing problems. Another common deformity of this region is cleft lip and palate.

Lower Third
The most common problem seen in this area is a small lower jaw. Other problems can be associated with the lower jaw hinge, or temporomandibular joint. Absence of or abnormality in this important growth center can produce chin deviations, deformities of the bite plane and badly positioned lower teeth.