Healing Smiles Foundation (HSF) is an initiative of the Indian Dental Association (IDA) to help children and adults with cleft lip, cleft palate, and craniofacial anomalies. The foundation is dedicated to optimizing the quality of life for individuals affected by facial birth defects; because these conditions affect a child's appearance and ability to hear, speak, eat, breathe, socialize or smile. In some places these children are shunned and rejected.
Based on the last study by World Health Organisation (WHO), the number of infants born every year with cleft lip + cleft palate is 28,600, which means 78 affected infants are born every day, or 3 infants with clefts born every hour.
Therefore, in 2012 Indian Dental Association (IDA started Healing Smile Foundation (HSF) for reconstructive services to children with cleft lips and palates (CLP). The foundation offers the gift of confidence and hope to children, adults and their families by assuring them access to cutting-edge care from world-class practitioners. IDA's resources and knowledge will enhance comprehensive treatment, train the specialists of tomorrow and conduct advanced research.
Many patients require an entire team of doctors, nurses, pediatricians, dentists, psychologists, and support staff to correct deformities and psychological distress. Therefore, Healing Smile Foundation (HSF) has a multidisciplinary humanitarian approach consisting of maxillofacial surgeons, orthodontists, prosthodontists, plastic surgeons, neurosurgeons, otolaryngologist, ophthalmologist, speech pathologists, geneticist, pediatricians and anesthesiologists. Specialists from psychology, social work and nursing provide clinical psychological and social care for patients and their families.
To restore the face as OUR face; our expressions are the means by which we communicate with our fellow human beings. It is a great cruelty to have this taken away either by disease or accident.
HSF’s mission statement is to heal broken smiles, enhance the quality of life for individuals by providing comprehensive treatment for CLP deformities.
Educate : Provide Guidance about what to expect and what to ask their dentists.
Network : Connect with families to provide access to interdisciplinary team care that is patient and family focused.
Inspire : Once the above stage of understanding and acceptance is crossed, our dentists share their stories to inspire others.
Advocate : Promote emotional support to individuals with facial differences and their families and increase public understanding through awareness programmes and education.
Research : Collect information and use it to develop breakthroughs in CL CP treatments and thus provide the best quality of services.