Shots: 

• The role of oral health and mental health is strongly correlated, and Smile Train, in collaboration with the FDI World Dental Federation, has developed an awareness campaign titled A Happy Mouth is a Happy Mind to promote the importance of oral health and mental health 

• Smile Train's goal is to educate the world about oral health in cleft care, reduce oral disease burdens, and improve well-being for people with clefts 

• Mónica Dominguez, Director of Global Oral Health Programs at Smile Train, participates in a thought-provoking dialogue with PharmaShots 

Saurabh: “A Happy Mouth is a Happy Mind” is a perfect message to demonstrate the correlation between oral health and mental health! Would you mind sharing the inspiration behind the wonderful theme?   

Mónica: The campaign theme, which is part of the World Dental Federation’s (FDI) annual campaign, highlights the strong connection between oral health and mental well-being. Smile Train is a proud partner of this campaign and represents the global cleft community within the theme. Poor oral health can lead to pain, difficulty eating, and low self-esteem, which may contribute to anxiety and depression. At the same time, mental health conditions like stress and depression can result in neglected oral care, worsening dental issues. By promoting good oral hygiene, regular check-ups, and open conversations, the campaign aims to improve both physical and emotional well-being, reinforcing that a healthy smile contributes to a healthier, happier life. 

Saurabh: Could you elaborate on Smile Train's three-year partnership with the FDI World Dental Federation, and how it has evolved from the last year to address oral health in comprehensive cleft care?  

Mónica: By collaborating with FDI, Smile Train aims to raise global awareness about the importance of oral health in cleft care, ensuring that patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers understand how prevention and early intervention can reduce long term complications. Through education, advocacy, and access to essential dental care, this partnership seeks to empower communities, reduce the burden of oral disease, and improve overall well-being for individuals with clefts worldwide. This three-year partnership reinforces the belief that a healthy smile for the cleft community goes beyond surgery, it requires long term comprehensive care, awareness, and support.  

Saurabh: What strategies do you employ to raise awareness about the increased risk of oral disease for individuals with clefts? World Oral Health Day is one of those strategies and has been an important awareness day for Smile Train and our global partners.  

Mónica: Three years ago, we developed an open online course dedicated to the cleft team and to the oral health professionals of the cleft teams to provide education on the oral considerations for the cleft affected patients, currently this course is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French to reach most of the countries where we have programs.    

Saurabh: How do you promote the "Lift the Lip" initiative among cleft care professionals and families?  

Mónica: This year we will launch a campaign over social media, teaching medical professionals, families, and patients themselves how to do the simple and free “lift the lip” technique. This technique, which involves the care providers, family member, or patient simply lifting their lip to check their gums and teeth for common signs of early oral disease, can help prevent it. It makes such a huge difference to simply be aware of the child’s teeth and identify early signs of caries and gum disease and know when to go to the oral health professional to receive early, preventive, minimally invasive treatment.  

Saurabh: What are the most significant reasons for the lack of public awareness surrounding oral health? Additionally, could you explain how mental health might influence or be influenced by oral health?  

Mónica: Oral health is often conceived as separate from overall health, even though it is deeply connected. Anyone who has experienced tooth pain knows how much it can affect your mood, your emotions, and your engagement at school and work. Beyond the significant physical pain that often accompanies oral health diseases, which has such a direct impact on mental health, our oral health often affects how people perceive us and how we feel about ourselves. Oral health challenges can affect children’s confidence, self-esteem, and ability to connect with their peers. If you hesitate to speak in class or second-guess a smile because you don’t want to show your teeth, that’s going to impact your mental health. There’s a lack of accessible education, especially in underserved communities, where dental care may not be prioritized due to financial or geographic barriers. Additionally, because oral diseases often progress silently, people may not seek care until problems become severe. Without prevention and treatment, poor oral health can also impact your overall health, which can further affect your mental health and your quality of life.   

Saurabh: What are the main oral health challenges for individuals with clefts, and what preventative measures and educational resources does Smile Train provide to address them? 

Mónica: We have developed a toolkit for our more than 1,200 partners worldwide with resources for the cleft team to learn how they can collaborate and participate in prevent oral disease in their patients by doing early identification and referral to the oral health providers; the resources target caregivers as well to learn on oral hygiene techniques, dental development and what to know at what age for them to take ownership of their oral health. You can find these resources and others at https://www.smiletrain.org/oral-health.   

Saurabh: How do you measure the impact of your awareness campaigns on community knowledge and behavior regarding oral health?  

Mónica: We use a combination of methods to assess the impact of our awareness campaigns. First, we track engagement metrics such as participation in educational events, social media reach, resource downloads and participation in our online courses. Partnering with local healthcare providers helps us gather feedback on how awareness efforts are translating into action within communities, such as increased dental visits, improved oral hygiene habits, and greater demand for preventive care services.  

Saurabh: Looking ahead, do you plan to extend your partnership with FDI, and if so, what new initiatives or programs are you considering to further enhance public health?   

Mónica: We are deeply committed to raising awareness about the importance of oral health in comprehensive cleft care, and our partnership with FDI has been instrumental in driving this message forward. Looking ahead, we are eager to explore opportunities to extend and strengthen our collaboration, focusing on continued education, prevention, and early intervention for cleft-affected individuals and their families. 

Beyond awareness, we are also seeking opportunities for global advocacy and policy-making to ensure that oral health becomes a priority within public health agendas. By working with FDI and other global health leaders, we aim to promote policies that improve access to preventive and specialized dental care, ultimately reducing the burden of oral disease in cleft-affected communities worldwide. 

Image Source: Canva 

About the Author: 

Dr Mónica Domínguez, DDS     

Mónica studied odontology at the Universidad Latinoamericana and received a specialization in craniofacial orthodontics at the General Hospital Dr Manuel Gea González in Mexico City.  

In 2013, Mónica officially joined Smile Train, the world’s largest cleft-focused organization. Smile Train empowers local medical professionals through training, funding, and resources in more than 70 countries to provide comprehensive cleft care in their own communities.    

In her first role with Smile Train, Mónica served as Program Manager for Smile Train in Mexico, and in 2016, she began serving as the Area Director for Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. She focused her efforts to create a strong network of local partner professionals who offer not only high-quality treatment, but also a model of patient-focused interdisciplinary care. The network provides reconstructive surgeries, psychological therapy, speech and language therapy, orthodontics, dental care, and nutritional support to patients as they reach each developmental stage in their lives.    

Mónica currently serves as Smile Train’s Director of Global Oral Health Programs, setting the vision and overseeing the global strategic growth and implementation of oral health treatment, education, and research programs.     

Mónica believes that by bringing together the best talents and hearts, we can change the world, one smile at a time.    

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