Trust the knowledgeable and highly-skilled doctors at CCOFS to take care of your child with a cleft or craniofacial condition.
The multidisciplinary team at our center is nationally recognized by the American Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Association (ACPA). And our Cleft and Craniofacial Center is one of only five treatment centers in the country outside of universities or hospitals capable of providing your family with this level of complex care. We use industry-leading surgical techniques, advanced technology, and custom treatment plans to provide predictable, natural-looking results.
Before & After Results
View all Photos
Family-Centered Approach to Care
At Carolinas Centers for Oral & Facial Surgery, our team of specialists follows a family-centered approach, which means patients, parents, and caregivers play an active role in the decision-making, planning, treatment, and recovery process. We ensure that your voice is heard and that you feel comfortable at every step in your child’s healing journey. Working hand-in-hand with your child’s doctors, we will build a personalized treatment plan that strives to achieve the best possible clinical outcome.
Meet Our Providers
Rick Kapitan, DDS, MS, FACS, FAAP
Learn More
Our Previous Mission Locations:
Guatemala City, Guatemala | Patzun, Guatemala | Antigua, Guatemala | Columbia | South Sudan | Kenya | Zimbabwe | Niger | Ethiopia
Cleft and Craniofacial Therapy Timeline
Birth
- Initial Assessment
- Lip Taping/Nasoalveolar Molding (NAM)
- Feeding Evaluation
3-4 Months
- Lip Adhesion
- Speech Therapy
- Audiology
6-7 Months
- Primary or Definitive Lip Repair
12-16 Months
- Palate Repair
- Speech Therapy
- Ear Tubes
2 Years
- Speech Therapy
- Audiology
- Pediatric Dentistry
3-5 Years
- Speech Therapy
- Lip Revision Surgery
- Palate Revision Surgery
4-6 Years
- Initial Interventional Orthodontic Evaluation
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Preparation for Alveolar Bone Grafting
- Speech Therapy
6-8 Years
- Orthodontic Expansion
- Alveolar Bone Grafting
- Pediatric Dentristry
12-14 Years
- Definitive Orthodontics
16 Years
- Nasal Revision Surgery
17-20 Years
- Orthognathic Surgery
Foundations We Support
Free to Smile FoundationThe Free To Smile Foundation is a team of doctors and volunteers committed to changing a child’s life one smile and surgery at a time, at no cost to them. They aid impoverished children in underserved communities suffering from cleft lip, palate, and other abnormalities around the world. |
Face to Face FoundationThe Face to Face Foundation is a 503(C)3 non-profit organization dedicated to treating children affected by cleft lip and palate abnormalities. Founded by Dr. Rick Kapitan in 2017, this foundation helps Charlotte area families “close the gap” and meet the many financial needs associated with their child’s treatment. |
Samaritan’s PurseSince Samaritan’s Purse Cleft Lip Project began in 2011, they have repaired the lips of more than 700 babies, children, youth, and adults. Every lip repaired over the last 10 years represents an opportunity for change and a second chance. |
