Sparkly Smile Dental Camp

"Sparkly Smile Dental Camp at Special School: Promoting Dental Health Among Special Needs Children in Islamabad"

The Sparkly Smile Dental Camp aims to provide dental awareness and assessment for 70 children with special needs, including physically challenged, intellectually challenged, slow learners, hearing impairment, vision impairment, speech and language difficulties, developmental disorders, learning challenges, autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, and cerebral palsy children. The camp will focus on equipping volunteers with skills to address dental issues in special needs children, an area often not extensively covered in dental training.

The camp will include:

• A training session for volunteers on interacting with special needs children and educating them about oral hygiene maintenance.
• Free dental checkups for special needs children.
• Discounts on dental treatments at Islamic International Dental Hospital, G-7/4 Islamabad.
• Dental awareness sessions will cover proper brushing techniques, flossing, dietary habits' impact on oral health, and the importance of oral hygiene.
• Engaging activities such as demonstrating proper brushing techniques on a model, playing matching games with toothbrushes and toothpaste, or engaging in role-playing as dentists and patients. Creative activities related to dental health, such as making toothbrush holders or colouring sheets with dental themes, can also be included. Additionally, activities like separating healthy and unhealthy food items or using a duster in the shape of a toothbrush to remove "dental caries" can make learning about oral health fun. Setting up a target with tooth-related images for a bean bag toss game can be another interactive activity. Using stories or videos with dental health messages can entertain and educate children, and shared moments of joy can create a positive and memorable experience.
• Monitoring and evaluation will involve collecting feedback from parents and volunteers and observing activities to assess engagement and effectiveness.

Certificates will be provided to volunteers for their participation in this valuable activity.