Special Day Foundation

08/26/2026

WHY WE CAN’T JUST "PULL ALL THE TEETH OUT"

As a caregiver, you play an important role in maintaining the oral health of your patient’s. Getting staff and patients involved with routine home care is not an easy task, and brushing and flossing someone else’s teeth can be just as difficult. However, what if I told you HELP is available! That is right; there are trained professionals ready and willing to help maintain your patient’s oral health. Routine dental checkups with a dentist and dental hygienist can assist in keeping dental frustrations and concerns under control.

Regular dental visits are important because this helps with maintaining healthy teeth and gums. A dentist should be seen two times a year and regular cleanings completed, at minimum, every 3-4 months. Some special needs patients may require cleanings more often, such as every 1-2 months.

Often times caretakers ask, “Why can’t we just pull all the teeth out and give them dentures?” This may seem like an easy solution in avoiding dental concerns; i.e. no more cavities, no more root canals, no crowns or bridges and no more dealing with insurance. Nevertheless, simply put there is no substitute for your natural teeth. Natural teeth help us chew and digest food, help us talk and pronounce sounds clearly, and natural teeth help give our face shape¹. To just “replace them” downgrades the significant change a patient goes through when dentures are placed into a treatment plan.

Let us look at some paralleled differences between dentures and natural teeth.

 Bite force with natural teeth: 200-250 lbs
Bite force with dentures: 50lbs²
This is a significant difference, think eating steak versus eating oatmeal².

 Natural teeth are set solidly in our jawbone, rigid and strong.
 Dentures REST on our gums, set by a gel or paste².
This is the difference between having confidence in blowing out the birthday candles and being worried I may blow the teeth out of my mouth.

 Natural teeth = full use of taste buds
 Dentures = taste bud coverage²
We not only have tastes buds on our tongue, but on the top of our mouth too. An upper denture would cover these taste buds making food loose its luster².

 When going out to eat or even eating at home, natural teeth allow us to choose anything we want.
 When going out to eat or even eating at home, dentures make the menu a list of what we cannot have³.
Natural teeth provide dental function. Dentures provide a plastic prosthesis that make it difficult to bite and chew foods we would normally enjoy³.

Dentures are designed to provide a cosmetic, prosthetic stand in for natural teeth. Usually remade every 3-5 years due to bone loss that takes place in the jaw from lack of bone stimulation natural teeth provide. There is no amount of money that can restore the dental function and appearance of natural teeth³.

Utilize the help around you! Trying to maintain proper oral health for your patient’s can be overwhelming. However, the dental professionals nearby are there to help sustain that smile, and with natural teeth too.

Created by Whitney Haley, BASDH

¹Caring for my teeth. | Oral Health Foundation. https://www.dentalhealth.org/caring-for-my-teeth.
²Think dentures can replace your teeth? Think again. | Life. (2011). https://www.huffpost.com/entry/natural-teeth-vs-dentures_n_996228
Think life will be better if you just pull all your teeth and get dentures? Think again! | Texas Wisdom Teeth, Dental Implants. (2013). https://www.texaswisdom.com/blog/2013/12/think-life-will-better-just-pull-teeth-get-dentures-think/

Do you think dentures will solve your dental problems? It is not likely- dentures often just create a brand new set of problems. Advice from an oral surgeon.

08/05/2026

As a new school year is kicking off so is a new year for the Special Day Foundation dental program. All three locations are currently accepting applications. As a reminder the dental program acts as a referral source to three University of Florida College of Dentistry locations through out the state.

Here is our website with application information.

https://specialdayfoundation.com/

P.S. - We also have a fishing program!

Special Day Foundation provides services for children and adults with special needs in Bradenton, Sarasota, and the State of Florida

07/20/2026

In case you missed it, here is a link to the newest Newsletter! This newsletter summarizes all the accomplishments throughout our three programs in the state for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.

The new fiscal year has began, some locations are still accepting applications. Check out our website on how to apply.

Email from Special Day Foundation Issue 27     NEWSLETTER Dear SDF Supporter, "A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is brok

06/23/2026

Another happy and excited patient visiting the UF Health St. Petersburg Dental Center for a cleaning.

06/08/2026

A visit that started stressful for the patient (and hygienist) ended successfully and with happiness instead. Thanks to the recently added sensory integration of a simple light projector.

05/29/2026

Check out this fun toothbrush song. Playing music when brushing helps with motivation as well as knowing how long you are brushing for. Try playing a song like this to encourage toothbrushing and letting everyone in the house know that it's time to brush their teeth!

Add some musical fun to your daily routine!🌟Subscribe now and never miss a video from Little Baby Bum ►https://www.youtube.com/user/LittleBabyBum?sub_confir...

05/29/2026

Be on the look out for out latest newsletter release next month. If you are not already on out email mailing list and would like to be, send us message!

05/13/2026

A CAREGIVER’S GUIDE TO A HEALHY MOUTH

As a caregiver, you play an important role in maintaining the oral health of your patient’s. Getting staff and patients involved with routine oral care is not an easy task, and brushing and flossing someone else’s teeth can be just as difficult. With patience and proper training, a healthy mouth can be accomplished. It is important to remember that our mouth and body are connected. To maintain overall health should begin with the area of our body that we use to nourish it, OUR MOUTH. To make life easier on your patient and staff think of the body and mouth as a gateway to one another. A healthy mouth will help the immune system sustain a healthier body, vis versa. A healthy body will aid in maintaining a healthier mouth.

Just as the bacteria in our body can cause us to not feel well, the same goes for the bacteria in our mouths. There is a direct link between bacteria and cavities, bacteria and gum health and bacteria and bone health. According to the American Dental Association, studies have shown that the bacteria causing periodontal disease (the destruction of the bone that supports our teeth) are also linked to heart disease, stroke and bacterial pneumonia¹. Likewise, patients that already have systemic issues such as diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and blood cell disorders may be at a higher risk for infection due to the body’s immune system being weaker¹. This makes keeping a healthy mouth critical in helping your patient maintain the best possible overall health. Why cause the body to work harder to stay healthy when it takes a simple remedy such as brushing and flossing.

Prevention is key when it comes to overall health. Brushing should be done at least two times a day for two minutes and flossing one time a day. Let us look at a few tips to help with daily dental care.

Getting Started

- #1 Rule- PATIENCE

• Pick a place where the person is comfortable. The bathroom does not always have to be the area of choice².

• Have a set routine i.e.; always after breakfast and always after dinner². Repetition helps form habits.

• Reward cooperation with praise.

• Set out all supplies (toothbrush, toothpaste, floss picks, mirror, cup of water) to be used in front of the patient. This allows for a checklist or a way for the patient to see “The End”.

• Wherever the location is, be sure there is good light².

• Allow the patient to try brushing and flossing first. Praise their efforts.

• Try the TELL-SHOW-DO approach. Allowing the patient to watch you brush and floss while you explain what you are doing².

• Be creative to allow cooperation. Example: play a favorite song or let them hold a favorite item².

Your Positioning
• If the person is in a wheelchair sit/stand behind them. If able, lock the wheels and tilt the chair back into your lap allowing for a better view in to the mouth².

• Stand behind the person or lean against a wall. Tilt the person’s head gently against your body².

Daily dental care is just as important as your patient taking their daily medications. Yes, it takes time and skill to manage behavioral and physical challenges. As a caregiver, this is your specialty. Use that expertise to make a healthy mouth and a healthy smile.

Created by: Whitney Haley, BASDH

¹Healthy mouth, healthy body | American Dental Association. (2006). http://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Publications/Files/patient_61.ashx
²Dental Care Every Day: A Caregivers Guide | National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. (2012). http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/oralhealth/Topics/DevelopmentalDisabilities/DentalCareEveryDay_mobile.htm

04/27/2026

It's the time of year again! The Special Day Foundation is currently accepting applications for the 2026/27 fiscal year. The new cycle will start July 1st. If you know anyone in need, please refer them to our website.

Special day Foundation offers dental and recreational programs for children and adults population in Florida including fishing programs