Dentsply Sirona and Smile Train are marking World Cleft Awareness Day by announcing that their partnership has enabled 7,000 cleft surgeries since 2021 and by releasing new data on the projected long-term impact of those procedures.
According to the organizations, surgeries enabled through the partnership between 2021 and 2025 are projected to generate more than $470 million in economic value over the patients' lifetimes, based on the framework of Smile Train's Economic Impact Report. They also estimate that the procedures have averted more than 45,000 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), a global health measure in which one DALY represents one year of healthy life lost to disease or disability.
“Behind every one of these 7,000 surgeries is a child who can now eat, speak, and smile without barriers, and a family whose future just changed,” said Rainer Seemann, vice president and chief clinical officer at Dentsply Sirona. “What moves me most is that this is not charity in the traditional sense. By equipping local clinicians with digital solutions and training, we're building care that takes root in the community and stays there. That’s the kind of impact our people are proud to stand behind.”
Founded in 2021, the five-year partnership combines Dentsply Sirona's digital dental technologies and training with Smile Train's global network of trained local providers to support comprehensive cleft care. According to the press release, the organizations focus on investing in local clinicians and equipment rather than providing care through short-term surgical missions.
The partnership includes donations of digital equipment to Smile Train Partner Centers to support cleft care planning, collaboration, and appliance fabrication. According to the press release, digital imaging, intraoral scanning, and 3D printing technologies, including Primescan, Primeprint, and Axeos, help clinicians assess cleft conditions, plan treatment, and maintain digital records that support long-term care, including surgery, speech therapy, and orthodontics.
“When you give a child cleft care, you give them back their childhood,” said Susannah Schaefer, president and CEO of Smile Train. “On top of that, you give a community a future contributor. The economic impact we're sharing today puts a value on how a healed cleft changes a life, and changed lives change the world around them.”
The milestone coincides with World Cleft Awareness Day, observed annually on July 20 to raise awareness of the experiences of people affected by cleft conditions and the importance of comprehensive medical, emotional, and social support. According to the press release, cleft conditions affect approximately one in every 700 children worldwide, and timely access to comprehensive care remains limited in many regions despite the availability of established treatment options.
According to Dentsply Sirona, the partnership is part of its sustainability strategy, “BEYOND: Taking Action for a Brighter World.”
