For many families, visiting the orthodontist is a milestone toward straight teeth and confident smiles. But for some, especially those whose children are born with cleft lip or palate, it’s much more than that. At Jewell Orthodontics in Lee’s Summit, Dr. Abby Jewell provides expert orthodontic care that starts just days after birth and continues through adolescence, all with the goal of improving smiles and lives.
Dr. Jewell isn’t your average orthodontist. A Lee’s Summit native with advanced training from the Mayo Clinic, she brings a level of expertise and compassion that’s hard to match. Her background includes a rigorous three-year residency with a specialized focus on craniofacial and cleft conditions, experience she now uses every day as part of the cleft and craniofacial team at Overland Park Regional Medical Center.
“Cleft lip and palate are congenital conditions that occur when a baby’s lip or the roof of the mouth does not fully form during early pregnancy,” says Dr. Jewell. “This results in a visible opening or gap, which can affect both the appearance of the face and essential functions such as feeding, speaking, hearing, and breathing. A child may be born with a cleft lip, a cleft palate, or both. The severity can range from a small notch in the lip to a large gap involving the lip, gum, and palate.
“Cleft conditions are typically diagnosed at birth or even before, through prenatal imaging. Treatment requires a collaborative, long-term approach led by a team of specialists including surgeons, orthodontists, speech therapists, and audiologists who support the child’s development from infancy through adulthood.”
Dr. Jewell is one of the first specialists these families meet on their journey. Within the first week of life, Dr. Jewell begins presurgical orthopedics, using a custom appliance called a nasoalveolar molding device, or a NAM. This small but powerful tool helps align the baby’s gums and nose before the first surgery, usually around four to six months of age. Weekly adjustments, close collaboration with parents, and careful monitoring make a big difference not only in surgical outcomes, but in overall facial development.
This early stage is intense. Parents must commit to daily cleaning and taping of the appliance while attending frequent visits for adjustments. It’s a demanding start, but one that lays the foundation for successful surgeries and long-term facial symmetry. Families don’t go through it alone--Dr. Jewell is with them every step of the way.
“We are so grateful for Dr. Jewell’s expertise and guidance throughout our NAM journey,” says a parent of a child with a unilateral cleft lip and palate. “She worked tirelessly to get the right fit for the NAM initially and then patiently answered every question we had throughout the process. The results speak for themselves!”
“Our experience with our daughter using the NAM for her cleft lip and palate has been life changing,” says another parent. “The progress with the movement of her gum and alignment of her nose has been amazing to see in just a short amount of time! It definitely requires a lot of maintenance such as weekly orthodontist appointments, daily changing of tape and cleaning and also keeping her from pulling it out. The results from using the NAM have been totally worth it for our daughter’s future!”
As the child grows, so does the role of the orthodontist. Around ages six to nine, Dr. Jewell begins early childhood orthodontics to address tooth alignment and jaw development. This often involves braces or expanders to prepare for a bone graft, another key milestone in cleft care. Then comes the adolescent phase, where comprehensive treatment aligns the bite, straightens the teeth, and sometimes prepares the jaw for additional surgery.
Throughout this journey, Dr. Jewell focuses on more than just clinical results. She’s known for her warmth and attentiveness, making sure her patients feel understood and supported. Many kids grow up seeing her as not just a doctor, but a trusted guide who helps them through a complex and sometimes overwhelming process.
The work is detailed, emotional, and spans years—but it’s also deeply meaningful. Cleft care isn’t a one-and-done procedure. It’s a lifelong journey of surgeries, therapies, orthodontic interventions, and emotional milestones.
“There are a lot of uncertainties when you have a child with cleft,” says another parent with an adolescent in comprehensive treatment. “On top of having a newborn, you have added uncertainties about their appearance, their ability to eat, how many surgeries they may need, what other health issues they might face, how long it might take before they will look "normal" and how much these things might cost. It's so important to have a team of professionals who you trust and you can provide your child the individualized care they need.
“Now that our daughter is older, Dr. Jewell and her team are helping fill that important piece for our family. We still have uncertainties about her appearance, how long she might need braces and what future surgeries she might need. And, as a 13-year old, she has her own uncertainties and questions. Dr. Jewell has been wonderful in working through these things with us. Her expertise is unmatched, but she also makes our daughter feel heard, understood and comfortable. We know we are in great hands!”
Jewell Orthodontics is located at 2070 NW Lowenstein Drive in Lee's Summit. For more information, visit jewellorthodontics.com.
Article by Allison Swan
Photography by Adri Guyer
Originally published in Lee's Summit City Lifestyle