The Smile House Center in Taranto was established to provide personalized treatment for patients with cranio-maxillo-facial malformations. This outpatient center of excellence, located at the Military Hospital Center, was created through a collaboration between Smile House Fondazione ETS and the Navy. The center offers support to parents starting from prenatal diagnosis, continuing through the care of newborns and adults with cranio-maxillo-facial malformations. In addition to surgical interventions, the Smile House Network provides complementary services such as orthodontic, speech therapy, and psychological treatments to limit health migration due to long-term therapies.
The unique approach of Smile House includes identifying the malformation, planning treatment paths, and preparing patients and their families for the medical, surgical, psychological, and economic implications of the condition. Through training events and collaborations, Smile House aims to continue providing comprehensive care for patients with facial malformations. The foundation operates through a national care network of Smile House Centers that provide up-to-date therapies for facial malformations. With 8 Smile House Centers across Italy, over 4,000 surgical interventions and almost 85,000 multidisciplinary consultations have been conducted since 2011. The memorandum of understanding signed between Smile House Fondazione ETS and the Regional Health Care Network represents a significant step towards creating a network of excellence for the diagnosis and treatment of cranio-maxillo-facial malformations in Italy.