Smile Train, GSK present cleft symposium

Smile Train, the world’s leading cleft organization, brings together individuals involved in providing cleft care for It Starts with A Smile cleft management symposium.

The event aims to improve the knowledge and proficiency of medical practitioners and individuals involved in providing comprehensive cleft care for children ranging from newborns to adults.

Sharing the same realization that a child with a cleft often requires more than just surgery to be fully treated and have the best chance of living a healthy and productive life, the symposium was joined by representatives from the country’s esteemed medical associations including the Association of Philippine Orthodontists, Philippine Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons, Philippine Association of Speech Pathologist, and the Philippine Pediatric Dentists Society Inc. The symposium was co-organized by The Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation of the Philippines and hosted by GSK.

Through organized panel discussions moderated by medical practitioners, It Starts with A Smile, provided a platform for the attendees to share, inform, and be educated more extensively on cleft care treatment for children. Topics such as preparing the child for surgery, anesthesia concerns, and primary cleft lip and palate surgery for infants and toddlers were discussed.

For children ages three to 12 years old, speech evaluation after primary palatoplasty, dental health, and bone grafting of cleft patients were thoroughly discussed. For those who have cleft lip or palate ages 13 and up, orthodontics before and after orthognathic surgery, assessment and considerations of the surgery, cleft management and restorative/ prosthodontic treatment were focused on.

“GSK is committed to its partnership with Smile Train. We are proud to support this symposium, an effective event to educate local medical practitioners and individuals involved in providing efficient cleft care treatment to better the lives of those patients in need,” said GSK general manager for GSK Consumer Healthcare Philippines Ritesh Pandey.