A brighter future for children and families!
The impact of cleft care is significant: Infants can thrive, children can attend school, and families can integrate into their communities. Proper care gives children healthier smiles and empowers healthier futures for them and their families.
GSF shared the incredible benefits of the cleft care we have provided in since 2009 in an article published by the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery:
- Improved the quality of life for our patients by avoiding 15,310 years of living with a disability.
- Empowered our patients with an economic gain between $78.3 million-$152.9 million, or $48,021-$93,750 per patient.
Want to see some healthy smiles?
Take a look at our patient stories!
Download our GSF Impact Report 2019-2021
What is Comprehensive Cleft Care?
Cleft care is more than one or two isolated surgeries; it is a multi-disciplinary treatment protocol that starts before birth and goes into adulthood. A comprehensive, or integrated, approach to care brings together all of the associated specialties:
- Pre-surgical dental orthopedics
Improve outcomes of surgery - Feeding and nutrition counseling
Help infants who have trouble feeding properly - Reconstructive surgeries
Reconstructive procedures for cleft lip and palate, ortho maxillofacial procedures, and rhinoplasty - Dental and orthodontic treatment
Oral hygiene, preventive care, tooth and bite alignment - Speech therapy
Clear speech, velopharyngeal function - Psychosocial support
Mental health, handling stigmatization, family support
Comprehensive cleft care is the best practice for patients and is shown to provide the patients with optimal health outcomes.
