Insights from the 74th EDSA General Meeting

In August 2024, I had the privilege of delivering a talk at the 74th European Dental Students' Association (EDSA) General Meeting, hosted at the University of Strasbourg, France. The EDSA, founded in 1988, is the largest organisation representing dental students in Europe, with over 70,000 members across 25 countries. Its mission includes connecting different educational systems, informing students about EU policies related to dental medicine, and fostering a globally active student community. The EDSA also collaborates with other international organizations such as the Association for Dental Education in Europe (ADEE), the European Medical Students' Association (EMSA), and the European Federation of Psychology Students' Associations (EFPSA).

A Focus on Cleft Care: A Multidisciplinary Approach

My talk focused on cleft care and highlighted the critical role of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) in managing cleft lip and palate patients in the UK. Effective cleft care relies on the expertise of a wide range of healthcare professionals, including surgeons, orthodontists, speech and language therapists, paediatric dentists, clinical psychologists, and many others working collaboratively to provide holistic care for patients and their families.

In addition to discussing the UK care model, I shared the mission and goals of CLEFT as a charity, emphasising its commitment to improving cleft care globally. This includes supporting research, funding sustainable training programs for healthcare professionals, and improving access to care in low-resource settings.

Student Engagement and Collaboration

The talk was met with great enthusiasm and active participation from dental students representing over 35 visiting delegations. Students engaged in discussions about cleft care models worldwide and the importance of raising awareness of cleft lip and palate within the dental community.

The collaboration between EDSA and CLEFT was also highlighted, particularly the success of the annual 'Miles for Smiles' campaign. This initiative sees dental students across Europe getting active through activities such as running, walking, hiking, and cycling to collectively achieve a target distance over a month. The campaign not only raises vital funds but also builds connection among students while contributing to CLEFT's essential projects.

Looking Ahead

It was inspiring to see the dedication of dental students from across Europe to charitable causes and global health initiatives like cleft care. The EDSA's commitment to uniting students and supporting impactful projects aligns perfectly with CLEFT's mission, and I am confident that this partnership will continue to grow in the future.

Written by Joshua Kennedy, Academic Clinical Fellow, University of Bristol, December 2024

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We are CLEFT, we support cleft lip and palate teams in poorer countries by working with local surgeons and other specialists to help them develop high quality multidisciplinary cleft centres. We do this by visiting and working with them regularly, helping to provide education and training and donating much needed equipment. Our goal is to help local teams so that children born with clefts in these countries will have the same opportunities as those in the UK.

CLEFT also supports research in the UK which will potentially benefit the much greater number of cleft lip and palate patients in countries other than the UK. Our research projects include a pilot project to develop techniques for 3-D MRI scanning of the palate, a study of the muscles of the soft palate to try to improve the quality of the surgery as well as investigating submucous cleft palate development and therapy.

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