Straumann Group Foundation and Neodent expand the landmark program New Smiles Expedition in Brazil
Basel, Switzerland / Curitiba, Brazil – April 14, 2026. The Straumann Group Foundation (SGF), in close collaboration with Neodent Brazil, today announced a multi-year partnership to further develop and scale the New Smiles Expedition, the most ambitious and complex program ever undertaken by the Foundation.
The initiative brings together a unique ecosystem of partners, including the established NGO SESI and the highly innovative organization Barco Sorriso, to significantly expand access to oral healthcare for underserved populations across Brazil.
Building on the proven success of the Neodent mobile dental truck and initial missions in the Amazon region, the program is now being further expanded into a structured, scalable impact platform with national reach. This next phase builds on a strong foundation of impactful outreach and long-standing commitment from all partners involved.
Expanding impact through scalable solutions
Despite having one of the highest numbers of dental professionals globally, millions of people in Brazil still lack access to adequate oral healthcare—particularly in remote and socially vulnerable regions.
New Smiles Expedition is designed to tackle this structural gap by combining mobility, data-driven planning, and long-term community engagement. The program further strengthens long-term engagement beyond one-off interventions and is designed to provide free preventive, restorative, and urgent dental care while also delivering education, awareness, and prevention programs. At the same time, it focuses on generating measurable, documented, and scalable impact, while strengthening local healthcare ecosystems and referral pathways.
A dual delivery model: road and river
At the core of the initiative lies a two-pillar operational model, designed to overcome Brazil’s vast geographic scale, regional diversity and infrastructural challenges.
Road-based outreach (SESI)
Mobile dental units travel across multiple Brazilian states, reaching communities with limited or no access to care. This model enables standardized, high-quality clinical delivery and scalable deployment across regions, supported by structured monitoring and recurring visits to ensure continuity of care.
River-based expeditions (Barco Sorriso)
In the Amazon region—where infrastructure is often non-existent—boats serve as operational hubs for missions into some of the most remote and inaccessible areas. These expeditions reach indigenous and riverside populations while delivering full dental treatments, including complex procedures, and require advanced logistical coordination under extreme conditions.
Operating at the limits of accessibility
Delivering healthcare in these environments presents significant technical and logistical challenges. Access to communities often requires multi-day travel by river or difficult road routes, while clinical operations must function with limited infrastructure, including unstable access to electricity and water. Equipment must therefore be mobile, resilient, and compliant with strict clinical standards, and each deployment requires extensive risk assessment, local coordination, and infrastructure validation.
In addition, ensuring continuity of care across vast distances remains one of the program’s most complex challenges. The initiative therefore prioritizes repeat visits and long-term engagement, rather than isolated interventions.
From outreach to measurable impact
New Smiles Expedition is built on a data-driven approach, integrating epidemiological assessments, clinical documentation, and KPI-based monitoring from the outset.
In its first year alone, the program aims to reach more than 3,000 beneficiaries, deliver preventive and restorative treatments beyond basic care, conduct education and awareness programs at scale, and establish a robust data foundation to guide future expansion. All activities are supported by structured reporting, financial transparency, and continuous monitoring, ensuring that impact is measurable and sustainable.
A long-term commitment to sustainable change
The program is designed as a multi-year initiative (2026–2028), with a phased approach that balances structure and flexibility. While the first year focuses on validating the operational model, future phases will expand reach, optimize efficiency, and deepen integration into local healthcare systems.
By combining innovation, strong governance, and local partnerships, New Smiles Expedition aims to create lasting systemic change in access to oral healthcare in Brazil.
New Smiles Expedition represents the next step in how we advance access to care. It is not just about reaching more people—it is about building a scalable, data-driven model that can operate in some of the most challenging environments and deliver sustainable impact over time.
Over the past decade, our goal has been to continuously build on and extend traditional outreach. With the program now scaled up, we are able to combine operational excellence with deep local engagement, ensuring that even the most remote communities are not left behind.
This initiative reflects our commitment to social impact and innovation. By leveraging Neodent’s capabilities together with strong partners, we are creating a platform that can transform access to oral healthcare at scale.
The involved partners
About Straumann Group Foundation
The Straumann Group Foundation (SGF) is a charitable foundation established by Straumann Group to improve access to oral healthcare for underserved communities worldwide. Guided by the belief that oral health is essential to overall health, dignity and quality of life, the Foundation supports sustainable initiatives that expand access to preventive, restorative and educational dental services.
SGF works with trusted local and international partners to deliver community-based programmes aligned with its mission: to help ensure that no one should live with dental pain, struggle to eat or be unable to smile due to lack of access to basic oral care. The Foundation focuses on long-term impact, strong governance, measurable outcomes and collaboration within local healthcare ecosystems.
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, SGF operates as an independent charitable foundation under Swiss law.
www.straumanngroupfoundation.org
About Neodent
Neodent, a Straumann Group brand, is one of the leading dental implant brands globally and a recognized provider of high-quality, accessible treatment solutions. Founded in Brazil in 1993, Neodent joined the Straumann Group in 2013, further accelerating its international expansion and innovation capabilities.
With a comprehensive portfolio of dental implants, prosthetic components, and digital solutions, Neodent combines advanced technology with efficient manufacturing and scalable distribution. The company is particularly strong in emerging markets while continuously expanding its presence beyond.
Headquartered in Curitiba, Brazil, Neodent is committed to improving access to oral healthcare and supporting clinicians worldwide, contributing to Straumann Group’s mission to enhance oral health and quality of life.
https://neodent.com.br/pacientes
About SESI
SESI (Serviço Social da Indústria) is a Brazilian non-profit organization that provides health, education, and social services, primarily for industrial workers and their communities. Through its nationwide network and operational infrastructure, SESI supports the delivery of community-based healthcare initiatives, including mobile outreach programs, in collaboration with public and private partners.
https://www.sesi.portaldaindustria.com.br
About Barco Sorriso
Barco Sorriso is a Brazilian non-profit organization that expands access to oral healthcare in remote Amazon regions through its innovative floating clinic model. Combining clinical expertise with strong field logistics, it delivers preventive, restorative, and urgent dental care to riverside and indigenous communities that are otherwise difficult to reach. Through its agile and mission-driven approach, the organization enables high-impact outreach in some of the most challenging environments.
