Throughout my childhood, I had
always heard so much about the Special Olympics program, which allows athletes of all ages with special needs to participate in competitions and win prizes for their
abilities. As I grew older, I had the honor of being invited to help staff the
program and learn more about what this amazing event has to offer. Very few
people know how much the Special Olympics program means for participants, not
only for children with special needs, but also for their families. I was
pleasantly surprised to learn that not only was it a sports collaboration, but
also a health screening service in addition to the exciting events that
families enjoyed.
When I was
in college, I was invited to join the Special Olympics Special Smiles team in
the field of dentistry to help screen children with special needs for oral care
and other services. It was there that I learned about the misconceptions about
children with special needs, and how to effectively demonstrate oral health
care and hygiene practices to prevent future discomfort or their need for
future dental work.
Many of the
children exhibited fluorosis, caries, and had fractured teeth from sports
injuries or congenital abnormalities. Parents explained their journeys to
finding the right dentist, and the hardships they encountered as a family trying
to find care for their children.
When I
volunteered at the Special Olympics Special Smiles event in New Jersey, I had
the pleasure of working alongside a dentist who taught me the basics of
clinical screenings before I began dental school. This was an excellent
preliminary experience to learn all about dental terminology and various
conditions associated with congenitally acquired disorders. Not only did I have
the opportunity to learn about these conditions, but also how to manage and
identify them in a clinical setting. Many of the Special Olympics Special
Smiles program participants required mouth guards for their regular sporting
activities, so we were able to provide them along with other preventive
services, such as fluoridated toothpaste, floss, and toothbrushes. They could
then prevent dental caries while enjoying their daily activities at a minimal
risk.
Another
Special Olympics Special Smiles program was recently held in Miami, which similarly
provided dental and oral healthcare aid for children with special needs. There,
special needs children were also provided with non-intrusive dental exams to
encourage oral hygiene and to ameliorate issues in the dentition. Although many
participants were known to be regularly noncompliant with dental professionals,
they were more relaxed in a friendly and inviting setting, which helped
decondition them from previous fears of the dentist.
This is critical to help provide
care for children and adults with special needs, as they will be more likely to
become compliant in the future if dental phobias are eradicated. Using the “tell-show-do”
method, many of the participants learned proper oral hygiene techniques,
learned about prevention, and reduced their dental anxiety for a brighter and
healthier future.