HAPPENINGS
LMC DENTAL AND
Fifteen LMC Dental faculty members and residents joined the Special Olympics
Healthy Athletes program by special invitation in February to participate in training
and screening activities held during the Special Olympics Arizona Basketball and
Cheerleading State Competition in Tucson featuring 800 athletes.
T
he Special Olympics Healthy
Athletes Program is changing
the way health systems and providers
interact with the most medically
underserved group in America—those
with intellectual disabilities—while
providing much needed health services
and education to Special Olympics
athletes worldwide. The program has
provided more than 1.4 million free
health examinations in more than 120
countries to Special Olympics athletes
and, in the process, Special Olympics
has become the largest global public
health organization dedicated to
serving people with intellectual
disabilities.
Special Smiles—the component of
the Healthy Athletes Program focused
on oral health care—holds over 200
events each year in every state in the
United States and in over 80 countries.
The program generates professional
awareness by inviting dental and
hygiene students, as well as practicing
dental professionals, to volunteer to
do screenings at Special Smiles events.
Continuing Education (CE) credits are
given to dentists and dental hygienists
participating in these events by the
Academy of General Dentistry (AGD).
Special Olympics athletes who require
follow-up dental services are referred
to local oral health professionals adept
in treating special needs patients.
They also receive free toothpaste,
toothbrushes and floss, and oral health
instructions. Special Smiles has hosted
over 1,500 free
events with more
than 30,000
free athlete
screenings
provided.
Just the Facts…
• Healthy Athletes
currently offers
health screenings in
seven areas: Fit Feet
(podiatry), FUNfitness
(physical therapy),
Health Promotion
(better health and wellbeing), Healthy Hearing
(audiology), MedFest
(sports physical exam),
Opening Eyes (vision)
and Special Smiles
(dentistry).
Continues on page 4
Issue 5, Journal 1; March, 2015
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