On the occasion of the World oral health daythe 2025 edition of Act of Random Kindness (ARK) is launched. It is a project of social responsibility which promotes theaccessibility to orthodontic care for patients with serious problems for the oral cavity and disability.
A truly commendable initiative. From 2019 to today more than 200 patients – who otherwise would not have had access to the care – have been able to benefit from the attention and skills of the specialists who have chosen to join ARK.
Non -profitArk involves Professionals of the dental sector To provide orthodontic treatments with transparent aligners without laboratory costs to patients with particular needs, for which fixed appliances may be more demanding.
The program allows doctors formed for the use of transparent aligners to reduce the treatment costs to be paid by the most vulnerable patients. Among the beneficiaries there are people with complex health conditions, due to genetic syndromes (such as trisomy 21), cranio-facial or buildings disorders. Launched in Italythe initiative has spread in recent years in Europe, in the Americas and the Middle East. To date, Ark is active in more than 20 countries all over the world, from Bulgaria to the United Kingdom, from Slovakia to the Arab Emirates.
Francesca Polidentist who supports patients as part of the Ark program since 2024, tells the value of the project and its impact on patients with special needs.
“Being able to offer less invasive and more manageable orthodontic solutions to patients with neuropsychiatric difficulties, such as those suffering from trisomy 21 or with neurological delays, is of fundamental importance. In this sense, the transparent dental aligners and digital scan technology play a decisive role, allowing to overcome the complexities of traditional orthodontics. Thanks to the ARK program and the support of Align Technology we are able to offer a concrete opportunity to those who otherwise could not access orthodontic care of this type. “
“Among my patients, for example, I report the case of Tommaso, a boy suffering from trisomy 21 with further clinical problems, including heart and respiratory disorders. He presented a bilateral crossbitite and a third skeletal class, conditions that made chewing and swallowing difficult. Thanks to the use of aligners, the treatment has made it possible to improve its oral functionality without the need for more invasive devices. demonstrate theenormous social value of the initiative “. concludes Dr. Poli.
Fausto Grossi, Vice President Italy and Iberia by Align Technology declares: “Ark is a program that has shown its positive impact, providing orthodontic treatments with transparent aligners without laboratory costs to patients with special needs. Thanks to the collaboration of extraordinary doctors, the life of many young patients has been transformed. We strongly believe in this program and we hope to involve more doctors to take more and more patients, especially young people, especially young people. in Italy and in the world “.
In the photo: Dr. Francesca Poli