Services We Support
Children with clefts need more than just surgery.
Treating the Whole Patient
Smile Train believes in treating the whole patient through programs that provide access to quality surgery and other comprehensive cleft care services.
Comprehensive cleft care includes essential treatments beyond cleft surgery, such as nutrition services, orthodontic and general dental care, speech therapy, and emotional support, all intended to ensure long-term, successful rehabilitation.
Medical Procedures and Therapy
Cleft Surgeries
Smile Train supports 100%-free cleft surgeries for children whose families could not afford it otherwise.
Speech Therapy
Even after surgery, many children with clefts will often need specialized services to address their cleft’s lingering impact on their speech.
Nutrition Services
Nutrition is the first intervention children with clefts need, as surgery cannot be safely performed on a malnourished child.
Dental and Orthodontics
Missing, small, extra, and crooked teeth are common in children with clefts even after surgery. Specialized dental services are thus vital to ensuring these children’s full rehabilitation.
Emotional Support
Even after surgery, children with clefts may have visible scars and speech impediments that can make them feel stigmatized. Counseling and mental health support are crucial to healing from a cleft.
Empowering Local Doctors
Training
Smile Train provides essential training and educational opportunities to cleft surgeons, anesthetists, nurses, and related medical professionals around the world. Since 1999, we have sponsored tens of thousands of scholarships, surgical training resources, workshops, and symposiums.
Equipment
Smile Train provides our partners with the essential equipment and supplies they need to perform safe, high-quality cleft surgery, including pulse oximeters, sutures and other cleft surgical instruments, operating rooms, and much more.
Technology
Smile Train has played a vital role in developing some of the most cutting-edge advances in cleft care, including our award-winning Virtual Surgery Simulator and our speech therapy app called “Speech Games & Practice.”
Building and Maintaining a Community
Educating the Public
Smile Train raises awareness about clefts through domestic and international public service announcements, our advisory bodies, the media, government institutions, and our network of partner hospitals and volunteers.
Finding Those in Need
Smile Train launches patient outreach campaigns to reach children even in the remotest areas. Our methods include radio advertisements and programs, flyers, local newspaper ads, media articles and stories, collaborations with government institutions and other organizations for patient referrals, social media, SMS/text message alerts, and more.
Financial Aid
For some patients, even if cleft surgery is 100% free, the cost of getting to or from the hospital can make it inaccessible. We have special programs that give small allowances for out-of-pocket costs such as travel, lodging, and food that make cleft treatment possible for those who need it most.