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EVENTS

WORKSHOP ON DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IN CLEFT LIP & PALATE CARE

A
workshop on “Digitalization in Cleft Lip and Palate”
was held from December 6th–8th at Dr. Shweta’s Dental
Clinic in New Delhi, in partnership with Smile Train (a
global cleft care funding NGO) and Dentsply Sirona (a leading
digital dental solutions company). The chief course instructor
was Prof. Dr. Puneet Batra, a member of the Smile Train India
Medical Advisory Council (IMAC) and Smile Train Research
and Innovation Council (STRAIC), trained partners from seven
key Smile Train centres across India, and included participants
from Thailand, Nigeria, and the Philippines. Dr. Monica
Dominguez from Mexico, the Global Oral Health Director of
Smile Train, discussed remote monitoring, while Dr. Martha
Mejia from Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami demonstrated
the Rhinoplastic Appliance System(RAS) to the attendees.
In September 2021 Smile Train and Dentsply Sirona launched
a five year partnership with a support of 5 million USD to advance
the future of cleft care. This partnership has culminated to make
Dr Shwetas Dental Clinic in South Delhi as a Smile Train Centre
of Cleft Orthodontics with digital solutions supported with
Primescan, Axeos CBCT and Prime Print.
The three-day event began with the launch of the book
“Digital Technology in Cleft Care”, Edited by Prof. Dr. Puneet
Batra, which was unveiled by Renu Mehta, Area Director of Smile
Train, South Asia, Leela Imam Senior Director Comprehensive
Cleft Care Smile Train India, Mr Neil Bhatia Marketing Manager
Dentsply India and Dr. Shweta Gupta Batra Proprietor Dr.
Shwetas Dental Clinic. Participants gained in-depth insights
into the role of digital tools in every stage of cleft lip and palate
treatment, including scanning, virtual planning and 3D-printed
Naso Alveolar Molding (NAM )appliances for presurgical infant
orthopedics (PSIO) and use of RAS appliance, 3D-printed
expansion appliances integrated with bone grafting in mixed
dentition, and virtual surgical planning for orthognathic
surgeries in permanent dentition.
The digitalization in cleft course aligned with global trends
in digital dentistry, positioning participants as leaders in the
evolving landscape of cleft lip and palate care.
During the workshop, cutting-edge technologies such as
the PrimeScan intraoral scanner and PrimePrint 3D printing
system were utilized to create highly precise PSIO 3D-printed
appliances, as well as orthodontic aligners for mixed and
permanent dentition. The Axeos CBCT was demonstrated along
with Xelis Software to assess the volume of bone required for
Secondary Alveolar Bone Grafting (SABG) as well as Airway
assessment of children born with cleft.
The integration of digital workflows not only improves the
overall precision of CLP care but also shortened treatment
timelines, leading to enhanced outcomes for patients, with a
smoother and more comfortable experience throughout their
treatment journey.This workshop serves as a testament to the
potential of digital workflows in transforming cleft care and
expanding access to effective treatments. n
76 Dental Practice I November-December 2024 I Vol 20 No 5