Summary: Dentsply Sirona celebrated National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month and the 25th anniversary of its partner Smile Train by raising awareness of clefts and promoting access to cleft care. The company supports advanced training programs, global fundraising efforts, and has funded 1,000 additional free cleft surgeries, contributing to a total of 3,800 surgeries since 2021.

Key Takeaways:

  • Awareness and Training: Dentsply Sirona promotes cleft awareness and supports advanced training in Digital Cleft Orthodontics in Latin America.
  • Fundraising Efforts: The company aims to raise $80,000 for cleft surgeries through a global employee fundraiser.
  • Significant Contributions: Dentsply Sirona has funded 1,000 additional cleft surgeries and donated equipment, significantly improving cleft care standards.

Dentsply Sirona celebrated National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month as well as the 25th anniversary of its partner Smile Train. To mark these occasions, the company is raising public awareness of clefts and promoting the importance of increasing access to cleft care.

Advanced Training Programs

To this end, Dentsply Sirona is continuing to foster special training programs through the company-supported Smile Train launch of the first advanced training in Digital Cleft Orthodontics in Medellín, Colombia. The program offers participants from different Latin American countries training on digital workflows in presurgical orthopaedics, mixed and permanent dentition, as well as hands-on workshops across three stages of treatment.

Fundraising for Cleft Surgeries

To highlight the significance of Cleft Awareness Month, Dentsply Sirona is also hosting a fundraiser amongst its 15,000 employees worldwide which aims to promote oral health while raising up to US$ 80,000 in support of life-changing cleft surgeries. In July and August, every dental check-up registration by a Dentsply Sirona employee will result in a US $25 donation on behalf of the company to Smile Train.

“Every three minutes, a baby is born with a cleft lip or palate which cause difficulties with eating, breathing, hearing, and speaking,” said Andrea Frohning, senior vice president, chief human resources officer at Dentsply Sirona. “As a leading company in the field, we are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of those affected and to raising awareness for the importance of increased access to surgeries and care for children in need. It is amazing to witness the life-transforming power of cleft treatment and we are incredibly proud of what we have achieved together with our partner Smile Train.”

Advancing Cleft Care Through Digitalization

Over the past three years, Dentsply Sirona and Smile Train have been taking action to advance the future of cleft care through digitalization. Together with the FDI World Dental Federation, Dentsply Sirona and Smile Train developed the first-ever global standard protocols for digitalized cleft treatment. These protocols are designed to help improve the accuracy and efficacy of the current treatments by providing dental professionals with a comprehensive digital clinical approach across all stages of care.

Significant Contributions and Equipment Donations

Dentsply Sirona has funded an additional 1,000 free cleft surgeries, adding up to a total of 3,800 life-transforming surgeries in 15 countries since 2021. Donations of 20 pieces of state-of-the-art equipment to seven Smile Train partners’ facilities across Latin America and Asia give even more patients access to modern treatment standards.

“As the world leading cleft-focused nonprofit, Smile Train continues to transform lives and cleft care around the world. As we celebrate our 25th anniversary this year, we are proud of the 2 million free cleft surgeries we’ve supported,” said Susannah Schaefer, president and chief executive officer of Smile Train. “We could not have achieved this major milestone alone. We’re thankful for long standing partners like Dentsply Sirona who support our vision by offering financial support, expert knowledge and equipment, while using their position to help shine a light on the obstacles cleft-affected individuals face without timely, high-quality and comprehensive cleft care.”