Cleft Lip and Palate Treatment
Every Child Deserves to Smile
Children in Latin America are more likely to be born with a cleft lip or palate than those in the United States. Families find hope in the caring hands of Sharing Smiles volunteers who perform free corrective surgeries and rehabilitation therapy while equipping local caregivers with the tools and knowledge they need to ensure the smiles last.
Sharing Smiles surgical teams—comprised of skilled cleft surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, technicians and other volunteers—travel thousands of miles to provide reconstructive surgery to children in need. We work in cities where we can create partnerships with local public health institutions and private sector leadership to help each child receive comprehensive care long after their surgery.
Dentistry
Creating Smiles That Last
Dental care is a long-term, continuous process that requires much more than one trip to the dentist. Sharing Smiles provides children with the training, supplies and dental care they need from infancy to adulthood to ensure each child has a lasting smile.
In Honduras and Dominican Republic, we employ on-site dentists so each child will receive dental cleanings and preventative care at least every six months. Not only do we give them a healthy smile, we change the way they view oral hygiene and overall wellness.
Pediatric Rehabilitation
The Freedom to Live
Disabilities come in many different forms, but every child born with a physical or mental impairment deserves to live a happy life. Sharing Smiles sends well-equipped teams of therapists to address the needs and challenges of underprivileged youth and elevate the quality of care provided to these children.
Most of the children we work with have cerebral palsy, epilepsy or similar conditions. We partner with local physical therapists to develop individualized treatment plans and ongoing relationships between care teams. Because of Sharing Smiles, these children can take control of their bodies, gain independence and experience a fruitful life.
Smile Stories: Yoselin
In September 2013, Yoselin’s cleft lip surgery was amongst 22 received by children during the trip. Yoselin’s care continues today with our local partners at the clinic for speech therapy, orthodontics, and psychology.