Dentsply Sirona and Smile Train Partnership: 7,000 Operations and Transforming Access to Reparative Surgery

Based on five years of partnership, the companies have achieved a significant result: since 2021, 7,000 surgical interventions for congenital cleft palate and cleft lip have been performed. However, behind these figures lies a deeper story about how restoration of function can change the lives of entire communities.

Economic impact extending beyond the operating room

According to the Smile Train report on economic impact, surgical interventions conducted with Dentsply Sirona’s support in 2021–2025 are projected to generate over $470 million in economic value over the lifetime of patients. This assessment encompasses not only direct medical outcomes but also socioeconomic consequences: children who gain the ability to eat, speak, and breathe normally are more likely to attend school, enter the labor market, and contribute to the well-being of their families and communities.

The performed surgeries prevented more than 45,000 DALYs (disability-adjusted life years — a measure of years of healthy life lost due to disease or disability). Essentially, this means the restoration of more than 45,000 years of full life to children who would otherwise have faced difficulties with eating, speech, and breathing.

Digital tools as the foundation for sustainable solutions

The partnership, launched in 2021, focuses not on short-term surgical missions but on long-term development of local clinical resources. Dentsply Sirona provides Smile Train partners with digital equipment — intraoral scanners (Primescan), 3D printing systems (Primeprint), and planning software (Axeos) — for more accurate diagnosis of clefts and treatment planning.

Digital clinical records enable specialists to track patients throughout their comprehensive rehabilitation course: from initial surgery through speech-language pathology correction and orthodontic treatment.

“Each of these 7,000 surgeries is a child who can now eat, speak, and smile without barriers. We are not simply performing interventions; we are building care that remains in the community,” said Rainer Seemann, Vice President and Chief Clinical Director of Dentsply Sirona.

Global context of congenital cleft

Congenital cleft palate and cleft lip occur in approximately one in 700 newborns. Despite the availability of proven treatment methods, access to timely and comprehensive care remains limited in many regions of the world. This underscores the importance of initiatives that not only provide surgical care but also create sustainable infrastructure for long-term follow-up and rehabilitation of patients with cleft conditions.

Source

Original publication