The day includes a carnival morning of various games and face painting led by the dental students, a luncheon and demonstrations led by faculty dentists in partnership with Colgate- on proper oral care.Through Sharing Smiles Day events we hope to foster comfort and care amongst all those participating, remove any existent attitudinal barriers, bring awareness to the issues faced by persons with special needs and ultimately improve both the current and future oral health practices for this population.
Initially organized by the students and faculty of the University of Toronto, Faculty of Dentistry, each year, OHTH plans to approach additional Canadian dental schools to host Sharing Smiles Days in their communities.
Comments from past Annual Sharing Smiles Days
Sharing Smiles Days bring together hundreds of dental students from the Faculties of Dentistry, dental hygiene students from Public Hygiene Colleges and Community Living residents; Welcoming all persons with special needs to attend and enjoy the fun-filled day!
Here are some participants’ thoughts on the day:
We, as dentists, have an ethical duty to provide care to those who are in need. And we, as people, have a compassionate responsibility just to help each other. The ‘Sharing Smiles Day’, held on March 28th, was a simple concept that demonstrated how easily the community can be brought together with clinicians, students and volunteers for the purpose of education and comradery; what a wonderful day! This program deserves our attention and support.
- Dr. Raymond Lee
Sharing Smiles Day Was a day I will never forget. It was filled with so much joy and laughter from the participants, volunteers, and organizers. My favourite part of the day was playing the games with the participants. Not only were we able to put smiles on the participants’ faces, but we were able to create awareness about the state of oral health care in individuals with special needs. I am proud to have been a part of Sharing Smiles Day and am looking forward to many more!”
- Mike Nguyen, DDS 2012, University of Toronto
Being a part of OHTH has been such an eye-opening, memorable and fulfilling experience. In particular, working with my fellow colleagues on Sharing Smiles day to help educate and bring awareness to the oral health needs of persons with special needs was unforgettable. This exciting and successful event brought tremendous hope towards future initiatives for this deserving community.”
- Sari Novack, DDS 2012, University of Toronto
Sharing Smiles Day was a fabulous event! Kudos to Ali and her team of dedicated volunteers for translating their mission to provide improved dental care for special needs people into this well-thought out, educational and fun event. Congratulations on your fantastic achievement – this first of many!”
- Joan Stevens, Vice-President, Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation
Sharing Smiles Day had a positive impact on promoting oral health to persons who have special needs. Not only was it a good experience for those with special needs but it enabled different dental professionals to interact with each other!”
- Nelly Villacorta-Siegal, RDH
I was very excited when I got the opportunity to participate as a volunteer at this memorable event. Not only did I learn more about the barriers to oral health care, but the event also opened my eyes to the potential there is to improve oral health for persons with special needs. I am very proud of my fellow classmates, who took the time to teach and learn about a population that should never be ignored. I look forward to working with my future colleagues, providing oral health care to all members of society.”
- Aditya Patel, HBSc, DDS2012 Class President, University of Toronto
Within the first 30 minutes, the venue had transformed- hugs were shared, smiles filled the room- it was amazing to see.”
- Ali Sigal, Founder OHTH, DDS 2012, University of Toronto
