One of the Tridharma activities carried out by the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department of the Faculty of Dentistry, UGM, is a social service program focused on CLP surgery. This initiative was conducted in collaboration with Dr. R. Soedjono General Hospital, Selong, East Lombok, NTB; the Senyum Harapan Nusantara Foundation; and several alums of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Faculty of Dentistry, UGM. The event, held from 9-12 December 2021, received an overwhelmingly positive response from the local government, with full support and welcome remarks from the Head of the East Lombok Health Office, Dr. H. Pathurahman, SKM., M.AP., representing the East Lombok Regency Government, NTB. He stated that the East Lombok Regency Government is ready to support similar activities with programs that will have a broader impact on the community in the coming year. Echoing the support from the East Lombok Regency Government, the Director of Dr. R. Soedjono General Hospital, Dr. Muhammad Tantowi Jauhari, Sp.B., expressed that with guidance from the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department of the Faculty of Dentistry, UGM, the Oral Surgery Department of Dr. R. Soedjono General Hospital is prepared to develop a center of excellence in the field of CLP.
This initiative benefits the restoration of smiles to the nation's future generations and significantly enhances the skills of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Faculty of Dentistry, UGM. It also serves as a platform for alums to exchange CLP treatment technologies. Dr. Bakhrul Lutfianto, Sp.BM(K), Director of Senyum Harapan Nusantara, stated that the CLP surgery activities have been fully supported by alums who voluntarily come from all over the country to share their knowledge. The Senyum Harapan Nusantara Foundation hopes similar activities can extend to other regions across the archipelago, which still need assistance from the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Faculty of Dentistry, UGM.
The Faculty of Dentistry, UGM, represented by the Vice Dean for Community Service and Collaboration, expressed hope that this activity could become a collaborative platform across dental disciplines to enhance UGM's community impact. It involves other disciplines, including Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics. Closing the cleft lip and palate perfectly can be followed by nutritional support, speech training, and orthognathic correction to improve the aesthetic profile of CLP patients.
