Creating More Inclusive Dental Care with Delta Dental
For people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), oral health is an important part of overall health and well-being. However, accessing dental care and oral health education that meets each person's individual needs can sometimes be challenging.
Through our partnership with Delta Dental of Idaho, Special Olympics Idaho is working to make dental education, resources, and screenings more accessible and inclusive for athletes across the state.
Providing Athletes with Inclusive Oral Health Tools
Thanks to support from Delta Dental of Idaho, we have been able to provide athletes with new toothbrushes and inclusive oral health tools designed to make daily dental care more accessible.
For some individuals with IDD, brushing and flossing can present challenges related to sensory needs, dexterity, communication, or understanding the steps involved. Having different tools and ways to learn allows athletes to find strategies that work best for them.
These resources also allow us to extend oral health education beyond an event or screening by giving athletes practical tools and information they can use at home.
Helping Athletes See and Understand Their Oral Health
Delta Dental's support has also allowed Special Olympics Idaho to invest in MouthWatch intraoral cameras and computers for our Special Smiles dental screenings.
The cameras allow athletes to see the inside of their own mouths during a screening and see what the dental professional is seeing. This creates an opportunity for more visual and interactive education, allowing athletes to ask questions and better understand their own teeth, gums, and oral health.
Rather than simply receiving a screening, athletes can be more involved in the process and leave with a better understanding of their own health.
Creating Ongoing Dental Education with Idaho Dental Assisting School
Special Olympics Idaho has also partnered with Idaho Dental Assisting School to create accessible dental education and hygiene videos for our athletes.
Together, dental assisting students and Special Olympics Idaho athlete leaders created videos covering topics such as brushing, flossing, general dental hygiene, and preparing for a dental appointment. Athletes were able to ask real questions and be part of creating resources designed for their peers.
These videos can now be brought to local Special Olympics events and health programming throughout Idaho, giving us an opportunity to provide ongoing dental education even when a full dental screening isn't available.
This partnership also gives future dental professionals an opportunity to interact with and learn directly from people with IDD. By building those experiences into their education, we hope future providers feel more comfortable, confident, and prepared to provide inclusive dental care.
Expanding the Impact of Special Smiles
Oral health continues to be an important part of Special Olympics Idaho's Healthy Athletes programming through Special Smiles.
With support from Delta Dental, these screenings can now be paired with new technology, inclusive tools, take-home resources, and educational materials that help athletes continue learning about their oral health long after an event is over.
Together, these efforts are helping us move toward a more continuous approach to oral health—one that combines screening, education, accessible resources, technology, and inclusive provider training.
We are incredibly grateful to Delta Dental of Idaho, Idaho Dental Assisting School, our dental volunteers, and athlete leaders for helping us create more inclusive dental care across Idaho.
By investing in both athletes and the professionals who serve them, we are working toward a future where people with IDD have the tools, knowledge, and support they need to take an active role in their oral health.
