​Dentsply Sirona supported Smile Train, the world’s largest cleft-focused organisation, in its endeavour to set a world record for the largest online photo album of smiling mouths and made a $120,000 donation.

The campaign aimed to raise awareness about clefts and the important work that Smile Train and Dentsply Sirona do to help people with clefts around the world. Kicking off in July during National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month, the goal of this campaign was to collect a digital album of 20,000 smiles by the World Smile Day on October 6, 2023.

Smile Train began its ambitious mission with a goal of reaching 20,000 participants who were willing to upload pictures of their smiles to an online photo album. Smile Train’s three-month world record campaign exceeded its goal, ultimately reaching over 20,000 participants who uploaded their smiles to the digital album. The company would like to thank every single employee, customer, and external partner who joined this campaign and shared their smile, helping set the record.

Dentsply Sirona joined Smile Train’s call to invite everyone to share their smile, committing a $20,000 donation if the campaign was successful. During DS World 2023 in Las Vegas, Erania Brackett, senior vice president of orthodontic aligner solutions and customer experience and head of sustainability, took the stage to announce that Dentsply Sirona would multiply their initial commitment by sixfold, increasing their donation to $120,000 USD if the campaign was successful.

Erania said, “We are proud to help shine a light on the important work that Smile Train does to help children and all people with clefts around the world.” She handed the check to Susannah Schaefer, president and CEO of Smile Train, at the official ceremony event in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Since the beginning of the partnership with Smile Train in 2021, Dentsply Sirona has supported over 2,700 cleft surgeries. Susannah commented, “While many are unaware of craniofacial conditions, it’s estimated that one out of every 700 babies is born with a cleft lip and/or palate globally, impacting their ability to eat, speak and hear.

“Through bringing understanding to clefts and the deep impact on children and their families, I am dedicated to Smile Train’s ongoing efforts to shed light on this complex condition and need to fund critical comprehensive care.”

Watch the Journey of Smiles documentary to better understand the impact of the company’s donation.

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