Cleft and Craniofacial Club picnic builds community for families

Dental students from the Cleft and Craniofacial Club lead arts and crafts activities for children and families during the club’s Family Picnic Day.

For families navigating cleft and craniofacial conditions, connecting with others who understand their experiences can be a valuable source of support. The Cleft and Craniofacial Club at UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry created that opportunity Oct. 10 with its Family Picnic Day at the Nature Discovery Center.

The event brought together approximately 60 family members from 14 families, along with 10 dental students. The club’s largest picnic to date also drew members of the Texas Cleft-Craniofacial Team at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and the Houston Cleft Lip and Palate Clinic at Shriners Children’s Texas.

Dental students organized and led arts and crafts activities for children and their families, while educational pamphlets and booklets from the Children’s Craniofacial Association offered additional resources.

“Our hope was that families would leave feeling supported and knowing they are part of a community that understands and celebrates them,” said Anna Thibodeaux, a third-year dental student and president of the club.

One moment captured that sense of community particularly well. Thibodeaux recalled an extended family that attended to support a young relative and reached out to other families at the picnic.

“It was heartwarming to see an entire family take time out of their day not only to show up for their loved one, but also to support other families they had never met before,” she said.

The moment reflected the connection and mutual support the club encourages.

“It was a beautiful reminder that this picnic was about more than bringing families together for a day of fun,” Thibodeaux said. “It was about creating a community where families could find understanding, compassion, and support in one another.”

Connecting classroom learning with patient experiences

The picnic also reflects the club’s mission to raise awareness of cleft and craniofacial conditions and help dental students better understand the experiences of patients and their families.

Through educational events, community outreach, and opportunities to interact with families, the club helps students connect classroom instruction with patients’ lived experiences.

In dental school, students learn about diagnoses, treatment plans, and clinical procedures. Interactions outside the clinic offer another perspective, helping them understand the physical and emotional challenges children and families may face throughout treatment, including multiple surgeries at a young age.

“These children go through multiple surgeries at such a young age, and it is important for us as dental providers to have an understanding of the physical and emotional impacts this process has on the children and their families,” Thibodeaux said.

Emily Hansen-Kiss, MS, MA, CGC, assistant professor in the Department of Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences, serves as the Cleft and Craniofacial Club faculty sponsor.

The event was sponsored by a grant from the Children’s Craniofacial Association, which also provided educational materials. The School of Dentistry’s Office of Student and Academic Affairs provided lunch.

Thibodeaux hopes experiences like Family Picnic Day will help shape more compassionate dental professionals who understand the importance of seeing beyond a diagnosis to the person and family behind it.