To help practitioners adopt best practices and guide them in integrating digital technology with the available treatment, FDI World Dental Federation, Smile Train, and Dentsply Sirona have collaborated to develop the first-ever global standard protocols for digitalised cleft treatment. These protocols have been extensively researched and are expected to significantly improve the accuracy and efficacy of existing treatments by providing dental professionals with a comprehensive digital clinical approach across all stages of care.
The protocols cover presurgical orthopedics, mixed dentition, permanent dentition, and oral rehabilitation, with a remote monitoring and oral health component in each field.
Prof Ihsane Ben Yahya, FDI President, says these protocols will bring health and opportunity to countless children worldwide and expressed his gratitude to everyone involved in this landmark achievement.
To make the mass of available information user-friendly, an interactive tool was created to display all information and help the dental professional navigate through all the different stages of care.
Susannah Schaefer, President and CEO of Smile Train, says 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. Moreover, Smile Train and FDI, with support from Dentsply Sirona, have developed a clinical education course to provide cleft professionals worldwide with additional in-depth training on digital cleft care protocols, and support them as they integrate digital technologies into their treatment plans.
The partnership builds on an ongoing global collaboration between Dentsply Sirona and Smile Train and aims to expand access to comprehensive cleft care worldwide.
