a photo of a baby

Cleft Lip and Palate Treatment

Every Child Deserves a Healthy Smile
Children in Latin America are more likely to be born with a cleft lip or palate than those born in the United States. Sharing Smiles creates cleft clinics at each of our sites so that patients may get all of their cleft care as close as home as possible. 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.

a child in a dentist's chair

Dentistry

Creating Smiles That Last
Dental care is a long-term process that requires much more than a single trip to the dentist. In Honduras and the Dominican Republic Sharing Smiles creates on-site dental clinics to provide children with dental hygiene education, the supplies they need for daily care, biannual professional dental cleanings, sealant application, and any restorative care they need from infancy to adulthood to ensure their healthy smiles last a lifetime. Not only do we give them a healthy smile, we change the way they view oral hygiene and overall wellness.

AdventHealth Sharing Smiles, Pediatric Therapy in Dominican Republic.

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.

AdventHealth Sharing Smiles, Smile story Yoselin

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.

Read More About Yoselin