Alveolar Bone Graft (ABG) for Children born with Cleft Lip and Palate

Some children born with a cleft lip and palate may have a gap in the gum. This gap is called an alveolar gap and may extend from near the teeth all the way up to the nose. During an ABG, a Plastic Surgeon will fill the alveolar cleft with spongy bone from the hip. The gum is carefully stitched over the bone graft to let it heal.

• The alveolus is the bone under the gums that holds the teeth. The alveolus is made of alveolar bone.
• Bone Graft is bone taken from one part of the body to another.