Conair Corporation, maker of the Interplak Power Toothbrush, has announced its co-sponsorship of this year`s Special Olympics, Special Smiles (SOSS) program, an annual, global initiative designed to improve the dental health of athletes of all ages with special needs. Conair is providing financial support to Special Olympics, Special Smiles, including a percentage of Interplak sales. In addition, the company is donating time and resources, while arranging for celebrity appearances at some of the program`s regional events.
This year, Special Smiles dental screenings are scheduled for June 19 at 25 Special Olympic Games nationwide, including New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, and Atlanta. During the World Games, from June 26 to July 4 at the Research Triangle Region in North Carolina, retired NBA superstar Michael Jordan and current Detroit Pistons basketball star Grant Hill will make celebrity appearances. Jordan is the Games` Honorary Chairperson, while Hill is Honorary Vice-Chair. There will be many other celebrities appearing throughout the course of the World Games. As part of the World Games, Special Smiles dental-screening events will take place on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Approximately 25 percent of people with special needs live below the poverty level and cannot afford dental care. In response, SOSS offers athletes with mental retardation and developmental disabilities free one-on-one, oral-hygiene instruction and noninvasive oral examinations by licensed, dental professionals.
In addition to Conair/Interplak, SOSS is supported by Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals, Patterson Dental, Oral Health America, Kodak Dental Health Imaging, and Sultan Chemists, Inc.
