The launch took place during this year’s National Orthodontic Week and each year will raise money for causes around the UK. The first charity the group will be supporting is the Cleft Lip and Palate Association, a charity close to the heart of orthodontics, as the specialty plays a central role in the treatment of individuals with clefts.
To raise awareness of the launch and its first fundraising event Orthodontic Therapists from around the UK gathered in London’s Trafalgar Square in the guise of ‘Famous Faces with Braces’
Simon Littlewood, consultant orthodontist and founder of the foundation explained: ‘I was lucky enough to be involved in the introduction and training of the very first cohort of orthodontic therapists in the UK back in 2007. It was immediately obvious to me they were a highly motivated, talented and caring group of individuals who were going to make a major contribution to orthodontics in the UK. Since then they have grown as a group and as soon as I suggested the idea of getting involved in charity work, the orthodontic therapists were massively enthusiastic and positive. They love their jobs and were keen to put something back into the society which has allowed them to work in such a rewarding profession.’