About this episode

Dr. Jordan Virden shares her journey as a pediatric dentist and a cleft mom, discussing the challenges and insights of navigating the cleft journey.

In this heartfelt episode of Our Forever Smiles, Laura Arroyo sits down with pediatric dentist and cleft mom Dr. Jordan Virden for an honest conversation about navigating the cleft journey from both sides of the chair. As a volunteer on the Johns Hopkins Cleft Team and a first-time mom to baby Eli, Jordan shares what it was like receiving a prenatal cleft diagnosis despite already working closely with cleft patients throughout her professional career. Together, Laura and Jordan discuss the emotional reality of hearing "your baby has a cleft," preparing for labor and delivery, feeding challenges, lip adhesion surgery, and the unique perspective of being both a provider and a parent. Jordan also offers valuable insight into cleft-related dental care, including missing teeth, extra teeth, oral hygiene concerns, and what parents should expect as their child grows. In this episode, you'll hear about: Receiving a cleft diagnosis during the anatomy scan Preparing emotionally and medically for birth Lip adhesion surgery and recovery Feeding with specialty bottles and the blue disc system Common dental differences in children with clefts Preventing cavities and oral health complications…

People in this episode

Host: Laura Arroyo

Guest: Dr. Jordan Virden

Topics covered

• cleft diagnosis
• parenting
• dental care
• emotional support
• feeding challenges
• surgery
• advocacy

Keywords

• cleft lip
• cleft palate
• pediatric dentist
• feeding challenges
• oral hygiene
• lip adhesion surgery
• emotional support
• cleft families

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Johns Hopkins Cleft Team

More episodes of Our Forever Smiles with Laura Arroyo

• When You Know Something Isn't Right: A Mother's Journey Through Cleft Care | Kailey Kuck · July 21, 2026 · 59 min
• Born with a Cleft Palate: Learning to Speak Up and Thrive | Delaney Yard · July 14, 2026 · 36 min
• Finding Healing Through Art: Amy Hofland on Cleft, Compassion, and Community · July 7, 2026 · 55 min
• The 100 Cleft Portrait Tour: Building Community Through Storytelling · June 30, 2026 · 32 min
• Why Are Babies Born with Clefts? Genetic Counselor, Robin Imagire Answers · June 16, 2026 · 54 min
• Building Community Through Cleft Motherhood: A Greek Mom's Cleft Journey · June 9, 2026 · 1h 1m

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