Pulpdent Corporation donated 750 applications of its Embrace Fluoride Varnish, 400 applications of its Embrace Pit & Fissure Sealant, and 3,000 single-use Flecta mirrors to the Special Olympics Special Smiles program at the March 2019 Special Olympics Games in Abu Dhabi.
The Special Olympics Special Smiles program in the 1990s when Steve Perlman, DDS, MScD, and Eunice Kennedy Shriver met to discuss the lack of access to healthcare for people with intellectual disabilities. Perlman developed Special Smiles to provide free dental screenings to Special Olympics athletes.
Perlman is a past recipient of the Harold Berk Award for Excellence in the Treatment of Persons with Disabilities. The award is given in honor of Pulpdent’s founder, Dr. Harold Berk, who was a founding member of the American Academy of Dentistry for Handicapped Children, now part of the Federation of Special Care Organizations.
According to Perlman, “children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are the most medically and dentally underserved population. In addition, they tend to have the highest burden of disease. It is in Pulpdent’s DNA to support programs like Special Olympics Special Smiles. We at Special Olympics are deeply grateful for Pulpdent’s generous donation and for the company’s longstanding commitment to improving access to oral healthcare for people with intellectual and development disabilities.”
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