Operation Smile benefits from legacy fund
The European Aligner Society has gifted Operation Smile a significant sum from their legacy fund to help develop and support their work
Operation Smile has become the beneficiary of a significant legacy fund donation from the European Aligner Society (EAS) – £80,000, paid over three years, to help the charity develop and support cleft lip and palate treatment programmes in developing countries.
In addition to mobilising skilled medical volunteers, Operation Smile trains local medical professionals, and partners with hospitals, governments and ministries of health in order to ensure safe and effective surgery. More than 85% of its current programmes are managed by local teams.
The society has a growing membership of orthodontists and dentists with a special interest in clear aligner orthodontics. Its most recent congress in Valencia, Spain was attended by more than 1,300 dental professionals from 60 countries and supported by most of the main clear aligner companies.
Dr Les Joffe, EAS chief executive, said: “The EAS board considered what it could do with surpluses generated by sponsorship and delegate fees from a series of highly successful congresses and meetings.
Not-for-profit
EAS is a not-for-profit organisation so we created a legacy fund into which surpluses could be directed.”
The fund supports worthy causes in oral health, aligner research projects and aligner ‘summer schools’ for aspiring orthodontists.
“The expertise that Operation Smile brings to each country is handed onto the local clinicians so that ongoing care and support can be carried on locally,” added Dr Joffe.
For more information about the work of Operation Smile, visit www.operationsmile.org
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