Every child with a cleft needs more than just surgery — they may also need orthodontics, speech therapy, or nutritional support. Where these services are available, we aim to provide them to our patients.
A Single, Solvable Problem: Cleft Lip and Palate
Many children around the world are living with untreated clefts.
Most have difficulties eating, breathing, hearing, and speaking.
- 35000
children born with a cleft lip/palate annually in India.
25000can cover the cost of a cleft surgery.
- 45
minutes can change a child’s life forever.
One Goal: To Give Every Child the Chance to Smile
Smile Train is an international children’s charity that supports 100%-free cleft repair surgery and comprehensive cleft care for children globally. Our sustainable model empowers local medical professionals to provide cleft care in their own communities.
Comprehensive Care
Sustainable Model
We use the 'teach a man to fish' model focusing on training and empowering local doctors to provide comprehensive cleft care in their own communities.
Our Impact
365 days a year, a child in India receives their life-changing cleft repair surgery by one of Smile Train India's 235+ partner surgeons.
News & Stories
Dr. Shruti Bijapur Levels the Playing Field for Children with Clefts in India
Dr. Shruti Bijapur is a specialist in cleft orthodontics at our partner Bhagwan Mahveer Jain Hospital (BMJH), a Cleft Leadership Center in Bangalore, India. In honor of...
Why I Joined and Never Left!
As a freshly qualified plastic surgeon in (2002), I was just doing my Job! Making aesthetic corrections and performing emergency surgeries on people in trauma was...
Samrat Was Always a Perfect Baby
Kavita and Amol felt they had everything they needed. Amol’s income as a private chauffeur wasn’t much, but it was enough to allow Kavita to stay home to raise their daughter...
