Smile Train advises cleft-affected children, families on oral health

The world’s largest cleft organisation, Smile Train, has called on cleft-affected children and their families to visit the nearest partner hospital for treatment.

In commemoration of the World Oral Health Day, yesterday, Smile Train Vice President and Regional Director for Africa, Mrs. Nkeiruka Obi, noted that the organisation provides free, holistic and comprehensive cleft care, including oral health and orthodontics.

Her words: “It is essential that children with clefts, receive timely oral healthcare to not only significantly decrease the development of tooth decay and cavities, but also improve quality of life in the long term. Timely oral health care lifts cleft-affected children’s mental and emotional health and enables them to thrive.

“As we commemorate World Oral Health Day, we endeavour to provide quality cleft care, so that patients with clefts can also be proud of their mouth.”

Cleft is a common birth defect in which the child experiences difficulty in breathing, eating and speaking. As they grow up, children with clefts are more likely to have missing or mispositioned teeth and will often require orthodontic treatment.

They may be particularly susceptible to tooth decay or cavities and are often marginalised, excluded, and bullied, which can further restrict their access to basic dental and surgical care.

Without care, these children may, therefore, end up in great pain and lose teeth at an early age. This can impair their ability to chew, speak and even sleep, significantly harming their health and quality of life.