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Athlete

Healthy Athletes Sponsors

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Healthy Athletes™

Special Smiles
Presented By

Delta Dental

Since the inception of Special Olympics Special Smiles, one of the primary goals of the program has been to collect standardized data on the oral health of Special Olympics athletes. The format that we use was developed by a collaborative effort between Special Smiles and the Division of Oral Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 1997, this protocol was tested at three events. The standardized data that was collected was reported and provided information on the oral health status of Special Olympics athletes in their city. It was demonstrated that the program could become a most important vehicle to collect data on this hidden population.

As the program has significantly expanded, tens of thousands of athletes have been screened and accessed into the health care system where they have received treatment that may not have been available to them previously.

Special Smiles is now a component of the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes® initiative. Founded in 1996, this program is designed to help athletes improve their health and fitness and improve their ability to train and compete in Special Olympics as well as life.

At a SOWI Special Smiles event, dental professionals provide screenings, health education and prevention services and refer athletes for follow-up care. Athletes are given a goodie bag with a new tooth brush, tooth paste and dental floss. Volunteers also provide fitted mouth guards to athletes that participate in contact sports. Athletes that have completed a permission slip can also receive a Fluoride varnish.

Fluoride Varnish permission slip

Clinical Directors

  • Ann Hvizadak, RDH, CDHC
  • Dr. Warren LeMay, DDS, MPH
  • Sharri Crowe, RDH, BSDH, MS
  • Pradeep Bhagavatula, DDS, MPH, MS

2011 Special Smiles Events

  • April 14, 2012 - Indoor Sports Tournament at UW Oshkosh
  • June 8, 2012 - Summer Games at UW Stevens Point
  • August 4, 2012 - Outdoor Sports Tournament in Eau Claire

More Information

Visit the Special Olympics Inc. Healthy Athletes Page

News

Tooth Fairies v. the Bad Bugs

The Tooth Fairies vs. the Bad Bugs

March 4, 2011 - Fairies aren’t known for swimming in icy water, but when it is for a good cause, they can make an exception.  Dental hygienist and instructor at Fox Valley Technical College Sharon Crowe and seven of her students took part in a polar plunge in Oshkosh, Wisconsin February 19 to raise money for Special Olympics and raise awareness of Healthy Athletes Special Smiles. Read more

View photos on Flickr

For more information on the Healthy Athletes Program, contact

Melissa Schoenbrodt
Phone: 608-442-5676
E-mail: mschoenbrodt@specialolympicswisconsin.org