Special Olympics Brings Special Smiles
BUSDM faculty, staff, and students teamed up to help screen nearly 300 top athletes competing in the June 18 Massachusetts Special Olympic Summer Games.
The dental school has offered strong support to the Special Olympics since 1993, when the School and Dr.Stephen Perlman PEDO 76 pioneered the Special Smiles program.
“Dean Frankl and I shared a vision of raising public and professional awareness of the dental health problems faced by people with intellectual disabilities,” says Perlman. “Since 1993, Special Smiles has led to a global movement addressing health care disparities for this population.”
Special Smiles dental screenings are an integral part of the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes initiative ,created to focus on the health issues facing Special Olympics athletes. Screenings introduce people with disabilities to dentists, demystifying dental care for patients, and encourage dentists and dental students to provide care for this underserved population.
Data collected from the screenings are compiled for analysis with data from similar screenings around the world. This information yields important insights into deficiencies in dental care. “The data indicate the huge need for providing oral health services to this vulnerable population and demonstrates that their oral care needs are not being met through the existing workforce,” says Dr. Paul Farsai DMD 94 AEGD 95, assistant professor of general dentistry.
Each year, Stacey McNamee, alumni officer, coordinates BUSDM’s participation in the Special Olympics.