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Free Orthodontic Program in Rome Treated 93 Vulnerable Children Over Four Years

Posted: June 26, 2026

Free Orthodontic Program in Rome Treated 93 Vulnerable Children Over Four Years

Edited by Orthotown staff

A volunteer-run clinic in Rome provided free orthodontic treatment to 93 socially vulnerable children and adolescents over four years, according to a community case study published June 23 in Frontiers in Dental Medicine.

The report describes a care pathway run at the Caritas Dental Clinic from January 2022 through December 2025. Of 133 young patients assessed for eligibility, 93 began treatment. Their mean age was 12.5 years, 55.9% were male, and most — 74.2% — were foreign-born, with the remainder Italian.

Fixed appliances were the most frequently used treatment, often combined with interceptive and orthopedic approaches. Forty patients, or 30.1% of those assessed, did not go on to treatment, primarily because of missed appointments and difficulty keeping up with regular follow-up visits.

Children were referred through Caritas social services, family homes, and therapeutic communities. Treatment was delivered at no cost through collaboration among volunteer orthodontists, postgraduate students, clinic staff, and partner dental laboratories.

The study was conducted by Cristina Grippaudo and colleagues at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart and Sapienza University in Rome, and published in the journal’s pediatric dentistry section.

The authors concluded that the program demonstrates the feasibility of a community-based model for delivering orthodontic care to underserved minors, and that coordination among clinicians, volunteers, schools, and social services can help lower barriers to treatment. They called for further research on long-term clinical outcomes. The article was posted as a provisional version ahead of final formatting.

Sources:
Frontiers in Dental Medicine, “Four Years of Free Orthodontic Care for Vulnerable Children: A Community Case Study from the Caritas Dental Clinic in Rome,” Grippaudo C, et al., June 23, 2026: frontiersin.org/.../fdmed.2026.1863855/full
DOI: doi.org/10.3389/fdmed.2026.1863855


Free Orthodontic Program in Rome Treated 93 Vulnerable Children Over Four Years

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