Cleft & Craniofacial Team University of Minnesota

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Cleft & Craniofacial Team University of Minnesota

Comprehensive team care for children and adults with cleft lip and palate & craniofacial conditions.

03/09/2026

For many kids, clear speech 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙛𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙧 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣 — 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩. 💛

This incredible kiddo is working with our cleft speech-language pathologist, Dr. Angie Morillas, practicing the skills needed to build clear speech after palate repair.

✨ Learning correct lip and tongue placement for oral sounds like “ba.”
✨ Building language through interpretation and expansion (sound to “help” → “help me”).

These techniques help children develop the motor patterns and language foundation needed for clear speech.

These moments may look simple, but they are critical building blocks for speech development in children with cleft palate.

Specialized cleft speech therapy and early team care can make a huge difference in helping kids find their voice.

When choosing your team, make sure they have all the expertise your child will need. Our SLPs are doctorate-trained and have completed advanced fellowship training in cleft and craniofacial speech.

P.S. That final high five is well deserved. 🙌

03/08/2026

Changing lives across borders—this is what global cleft care looks like. 🌍

Celebrating International Women’s Day and the incredible women making an impact in medicine and around the world.

UMN Cleft and Craniofacial Surgeon Dr. Renie Daniel frequently travels with Operation Smile, working alongside local healthcare teams to provide cleft care while also helping train and support providers so more children can receive life-changing treatment in their own communities.

Her expertise, leadership, and heart for global care are helping strengthen cleft care systems worldwide.

To all women—thank you for all that you do. Happy International Women’s Day. 🩵

UMNCleftTeam

03/06/2026

Superhero status: confirmed. 🦸‍♀️💗

Strength, bravery, and a bright smile.
Helping kids smile inside and out—it’s what we do best at the U of MN Cleft and Craniofacial Clinic!

03/03/2026

When it comes to cleft palate and speech, there’s a lot of misinformation out there.

Let’s clear it up. 💬

We’re breaking down 7 common myths about cleft palate & speech — and sharing the evidence-based truths every parent deserves to know.

From when speech therapy should start…
to whether surgery is always needed…
to how long therapy really lasts…

Our Craniofacial SLP team is here to help families make informed, confident decisions every step of the way.

💛 Save this post for later
💛 Share with a parent who may need it
💛 Reach out if you’d like a consultation or second opinion

Expert, team-based cleft care matters.
We’re here when you need us. Bookmark and share!

02/27/2026

Every child deserves to smile — inside and out. 🩵

Welcome to all of our new followers!

If you or someone you love has recently welcomed a baby with a cleft or craniofacial condition, we’re so glad you’re here.

And if you’re not new to the journey but are looking for a care team, additional resources, or continued support — we’re here for you, too. We see patients from birth through adulthood.

Led by Dr. Renie Daniel, MD, DMD, FACS, FAAP — Minnesota’s only dual-degreed, board-certified, fellowship-trained cleft and craniofacial surgeon — our team provides coordinated, comprehensive care in one place.

We offer:
• Specialized medical, surgical, dental, and mental health care
• Feeding and speech therapy with doctorate- and fellowship-trained, bilingual SLPs
• Pre-surgical molding (NAM, Latham, and digital options)to improve outcomes
• Providers with first-hand lived experience
• Family and community events and support

Send us a message or comment below — we’d love to connect.

Learn more: z.umn.edu/cleft
612-625-5945 | cleft@umn.edu

02/19/2026

🦸‍♂️✨ SUPERHERO SPOTLIGHT ✨🦸‍♂️

Elijah is living his best life!

❤️ Favorite color: RED
🍕 Favorite food: PIZZA
🧽 Favorite character: SPONGEBOB
🎥 Future career goal: YouTuber — “so I can make lots of money!” 😂

Mom shared something so honest and important:

“The beginning is overwhelming. There is so much to worry about. But having a great team of doctors, nurses, and therapists takes a lot of that weight off our shoulders. So we as parents can just enjoy watching our child grow and thrive.”

That’s exactly why team care matters. 💛

We’re so proud of you, Elijah.

Keep dreaming big! (YouTube channel coming soon? 😉) and shining bright, Superhero! 🌟

02/14/2026

Love is at the heart of every smile — and at the heart of all we do as a team. 💘

This Valentine’s Day, we’re celebrating the brave hearts and bright smiles that make our cleft & craniofacial community so special. 💛

02/12/2026

✨ Sparkle and shine — yes, she does! ✨

A little reminder that your smile rocks — inside and out. Let it shine bright. 💛

Big hugs to this little hero who recently had palate surgery with Dr. Renie Daniel, UMN’s Cleft & Craniofacial Surgeon. You are strong. You are brave. And now your voice can be heard — loud and clear. 🦋

We are so proud of you and honored to be part of your journey.

02/05/2026

Pure joy 🥹💛 We truly have the best patients!

Getting to meet this family for the first time filled our clinic with smiles — mom and sister right by her side, so much love, and such great energy. We’re so glad they found their way to us.

Moments like these remind us how powerful family support is and why team care means so much.

We’re honored to care for patients of all ages and to support the whole family throughout the cleft & craniofacial journey — cheering you on and celebrating every step together. ✨💛

01/29/2026

Team science in action! 🎉 Advancing care for individuals born with cleft and facial differences takes all of us—and we’re proud to do our part.

One of our newest grant projects and publications introduces a digital workflow for NAM— helping expand access to this important treatment.

Congratulations to Dr. Thorsten Gruenheid and colleagues for their recent publication. A special thanks to Dr. Sara Schadeberg for her impressive contributions on this as part of her master’s thesis.

To the families, parents and people walking this journey: this work is for you—and we remain committed to improving care, access, and outcomes for all affected by cleft and facial differences.

To learn more about our team and NAM, visit the link in our bio. 🔗

01/27/2026

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗼𝗻. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆.

Cleft care is not a single surgery — it’s a long-term journey that often spans from birth through young adulthood. Families consistently tell us how important it is to have experienced, coordinated care and a surgeon who can walk with them through every stage of growth.

Dr. Renie Daniel provides comprehensive cleft and craniofacial care from birth through long-term follow-up— 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗷𝗮𝘄 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘆 —working closely with a a comprehensive team to support the whole child and family.

For many families, that continuity, expertise, and partnership make all the difference.

Beginning your cleft journey — or need a new surgeon? You deserve thoughtful, comprehensive care every step of the way.

Swipe to learn more.

Address

515 Delaware Street SE
Minneapolis, MN
55455

Telephone

+16126255945

Website

https://dentalclinics.umn.edu/specialty/cleft-craniofacial

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