From 13-15 October 2026, over 250 oral health professionals, including professors, doctors, nurses, dentists, dental therapists, oral hygienists, dental assistants, dental technicians, and other healthcare professionals came together to improve oral healthcare services and create awareness and access to comprehensive cleft care.
Promoting oral health and cleft awareness
The programme kicked off with outreach visits to 17 schools and Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres across the district. Healthcare professionals and Operation Smile staff and volunteers spoke to learners about the importance of good oral health. and handed out more than 4 500 toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste.
In addition, the teams raised awareness about cleft conditions – helping children, teachers, and community leaders understand the conditions, and the support available to those affected.
Strengthening knowledge and referral pathways
A key component of the programme was Continuing Professional Development for public sector oral health professionals. Through lectures and shared learning sessions, delegates gained greater insights into clefts, their treatment and the important role played by general dentists and oral health professionals in supporting the journey to complete cleft care.
Topics included
- recognising cleft-related concerns
- facilitating timely referrals
- supporting multidisciplinary care.
In addition to deepening knowledge of cleft treatment, the programme helped strengthen referral networks for patients and families.
Hundreds of posters in multiple languages were distributed to delegates eager to play their role in improving access to safe surgery and comprehensive cleft care across the country.
Screening and connecting families to cleft care
The programme concluded with an Oral Health Open Day, which included cleft registration and screening at the Thohoyandou Community Health Centre, facilitated by Operation Smile.
Oral health teams screened 452 patients and delivered a range of preventative and treatment services, helping to address immediate needs.
17 patients with cleft lip and palate were placed on pathways to care, ensuring they will have access to safe surgery and ongoing care.
The screening also played a critical role in highlighting the need to strengthen comprehensive cleft care services with senior health care officials in this largely rural province.
The power of partnership
The programme concluded with a Gala Dinner, where pioneers and leaders in public oral health were recognized and honoured for their outstanding contributions to the profession.
Local Smile Ambassador, Tshepo Manetja, gave a heartfelt and passionate testimonial. She was born in Limpopo with a cleft lip and palate and struggled to access care. Her experiences highlighted the urgent need to strengthen comprehensive cleft care services in the province.
Operation Smile South Africa was proud to partner with both the National and Limpopo Departments of Health in this important initiative. We salute the oral health professionals and key partners who participated to ensure the programme’s success. Together, we are committed to strengthening local health systems to enable more children and adults with a cleft conditions access safe surgery and comprehensive cleft care closer to home.
Every child deserves the opportunity to smile with confidence, and every family deserves access to care closer to home.
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Operation Smile South Africa is a registered Non-profit Organisation (083-117 NPO) and incorporated under Section 21 of the Companies Act 61 of 1973.
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