Association of Philippine Orthodontists strives to assist cleft lip and palate patients

The Association of Philippine Orthodontists, under the leadership of Dr. Crissie Camara Santayana, president, and Dr. Sandra Syliangco Adriano, president-elect, recently adopted the mission of providing orthodontic care to those cleft patients who cannot afford treatment. This was accomplished with the strong support of the Philippine Band of Mercy, a non-profit and non-government organization. As a result, the membership of the Association of Philippine Orthodontists unanimously endorsed this new mission.

The Association works with the cleft lip and palate team at Pasig General Hospital in Pasig, Philippines. The cleft team includes two plastic surgeons, a social worker, a speech pathologist, a psychologist, a pediatrician, a general dentist, a nurse and the MD team director. Upon the recommendation of the cleft team and with approval from its social worker, patients can receive orthodontic treatment from a local orthodontist who is a member of the Association. The orthodontic treatment is provided at no cost to the patient or the family.

In keeping with team care models, each member of the team sees each patient separately. After all the patients are seen, the team convenes to discuss their findings and make recommendations for each of the patients.

To learn more about this program, please contact the APO through its Web site at http://www.apo.com.ph