[1] This same underdevelopment can make it difficult to eat and can lead to complications such as Nasopharyngeal airway restriction.

[1] Severe cases require surgical correction after completing craniofacial growth around age 17-21.

[5] Milder forms without obstruction can be corrected for cosmetic reasons using veneers, snap in smiles, and overlay dentures[6] When associated with nasopharyngeal occlusion, the person is more likely to spend their days in forward head posture which may lead to back pain, neck pain and numbness in the arms and hands.

Patients are usually advised to eat soft foods for days, or sometimes weeks, to allow their jaw time to heal.

They also require regular checkups with the doctor to monitor bone displacement, signs of infection, or other issues.

Because of the subjective nature of the diagnosis, the incidence of maxillary hypoplasia in people with cleft lip and palate varies between 15-50%.

A retrospective study was published in January 2020 that evaluated the accuracy of virtual surgical planning-assisted management of maxillary hypoplasia.