Since 2002, Delta Dental of Wisconsin has proudly served as the exclusive statewide partner of the Special Olympics Special Smiles program. This vital initiative delivers essential oral health services to athletes participating in the four major Special Olympic events across Wisconsin. Through this program, athletes receive comprehensive oral health screenings, education, fluoride varnish applications, and custom-fitted mouthguards, all designed to promote better oral health.
The screenings are crucial for increasing awareness of athletes’ oral health among the athletes themselves, as well as their parents and caregivers. Beyond screenings, athletes benefit from personalized hygiene education to enhance their brushing and flossing techniques, alongside nutritional guidance to understand how dietary choices impact their overall health.
While these proactive measures are invaluable, they often highlight the need for further dental care that goes beyond the scope of a screening. This is where the Wisconsin Dental Association (WDA) steps in, playing a critical role in ensuring that athletes receive the follow-up care they require.
A cornerstone of the WDA’s commitment to community health is its Mission of Mercy program. The Mission of Mercy is a temporary dental clinic that is set up in a selected Wisconsin community for two days to provide oral health care treatment. These events take place every other year during the summer, rotating to a new Wisconsin location each time, and specifically target areas where the need for dental care is greatest and the average income tends to be low. Since its inception in 2009, the WDA and WDA Foundation Mission of Mercy events have collectively provided over $11 million in donated care to more than 16,000 Wisconsin children and adults.
The next WDA Mission of Mercy event is scheduled to take place in Wausau on July 26. In a generous gesture of support, Special Olympics Wisconsin athletes are specifically invited to attend and receive care at this upcoming event.
Melissa Schoenbrodt, Director of Health Programs for Special Olympics Wisconsin, highlighted the significance of such initiatives.
“We are ecstatic to partner with the WDA on this venture. Our athletes’ oral health is critical to their success both on and off the playing field.” Schoenbrodt continued, “For many individuals with intellectual disabilities, programs like Mission of Mercy are often the only source of comprehensive dental care available, underscoring their profound impact on the well-being and overall success of Special Olympics athletes, ensuring they receive the crucial dental care that might otherwise be inaccessible.”
For more information about the Wisconsin Dental Association’s Mission of Mercy program, including details on future events and how to get involved, please visit the WDA Foundation website.
Special Olympics Wisconsin athlete appointments at Mission of Mercy on Saturday July 26 can be booked by contacting Melissa Schoenbrodt at [email protected] or 608.442.5676.
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