Dentsply Sirona, FDI and Smile Train deliver first-ever global protocols for digital cleft treatment

The workflows outlined in the protocols contain a wealth of information to guide dental practitioners in their work and enable best practice. The protocols encompass treatment in the case of pre-surgical infant orthopaedics, mixed dentition, permanent dentition and oral rehabilitation. Each option features a remote monitoring and oral health component.

“These protocols will help bring health and opportunity to countless children worldwide,” FDI President Prof. Ihsane Ben Yahya said in a press release. “It took an incredible amount of research and effort to put these workflows together,” she continued.

To aid application of the available information and details, an interactive tool was created that will help dental professionals navigate through the different stages of care.

“The new protocols set the bar for the evolution of digital cleft care, leveraging technology that will ensure access to high-quality care for marginalised communities, and reduce the burden of care for the cleft community,” commented Susannah Schaefer, president and CEO of Smile Train.

In addition, the three organisations have developed a clinical education course that aims to provide cleft professionals worldwide with additional in-depth training on digital cleft care protocols and to support them as they integrate digital technologies into their treatment plans.

The partnership builds on an ongoing global partnership between Dentsply Sirona and Smile Train, which funded more than 730 cleft surgeries in the first year of collaboration. “Together with Smile Train and FDI, we are working to advance the future of cleft care and go BEYOND for children with clefts worldwide,” added Erania Brackett, chief marketing officer and head of sustainability at Dentsply Sirona. “The launch of these new global protocols is an enormous step forward on that journey, integrating high-quality digital, more sustainable technologies and workflows into cleft care.”