Special Smiles - Giving The Athletes An Award Winning Smile

WHAT IS SPECIAL SMILES?

The Special Olympics Special Smiles is a dental screening, education and referral program that operates under the auspices of Special Olympics, Inc. The program was developed by Dr. Steven Perlman in 1993 and is now one of the lead components of Special Olympics' "Healthy Athletes" initiative, created to focus attention on the overall health issues facing Special Olympics athletes.

WCCC Dental Students ready to give exams.

SPECIAL SMILES MISSION

The mission of Special Smiles is to increase access to dental care for Special Olympics athletes, as well as all people with mental retardation. Dental screenings are used as a means to increase awareness of the state of the athletes' oral health for the athletes themselves, as well as their parents and/or caregivers. The athletes are provided with hygiene education to help ensure that they are doing an adequate job of brushing and flossing, as well as nutrition education so they'll understand how their diet affects their total health. The athletes are also provided with a list of dentists/clinics in their area who will treat patients with special needs, should they have difficulty finding a dentist. At most locations, free mouth guards are provided for athletes competing in contact or high-risk sports.

One of the primary objectives of Special Smiles is to increase the number of dental professionals who will serve people with mental retardation in their practices and clinics. In 2000, Special Smiles screened more than 10,000 athletes at 38 Special Olympics Games.

Visit the Special Smiles website to discover more about the international Special Smiles program.

SPECIAL SMILES IN WESTMORELAND COUNTY

In 2001, Westmoreland County Community College and Special Olympics-Westmoreland County teamed up to present the first local Special Smiles program. Approximately 40 WCCC dental assisting/hygiene students, graduates and faculty volunteered with local dentists and dental hygienists.

WCCC and Special Olympics-Westmoreland County provides the Special Smiles screenings at the Track and Field Meet at Latrobe Stadium each May. All athletes registered with Special Olympics-Westmoreland County are encouraged to take advantage of the screenings, and participation in the track and field meet is not a pre-requisite. Screenings will begin at 10:00 and continue through-out the day. All services are provided free of charge to all registered athletes.

WCCC Dental students making good hygiene fun.

HOW THIS HAPPENS

Special Smiles is both self-funded, and completely reliant on volunteers to staff the events. There is a volunteer local coordinator for each Special Olympics Games that we participate in, and they are responsible for recruiting volunteers (dentists, dental students, hygienists and non-professionals) and handling all the logistics on-site. Clinical supplies for the screenings are donated by one of the national sponsors of Special Smiles, and products for the "goody bags" (toothbrush, toothpaste and dental floss) given to each participating athlete are supplied or paid for by other sponsors.

The national sponsors for Special Olympics Special Smiles include:

ADA Health Foundation

Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals

Grottoes of North America

Kodak Dental Imaging

Oral Health America

Patterson Dental Supply Co.

Sonicare

Sultan Chemists

For more information about Special Smiles, contact Special Olympics-Westmoreland County at info@westspol.org.