Dr. Steven Perlman
In the 1990s, Dr. Steven Perlman met with Eunice Kennedy Shriver to discuss the lack of access to health care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities or IDD. From those initial talks, Special Olympics Special Smiles was created to provide free dental screenings for Special Olympics athletes.
The first screening completed in 1995 at the Special Olympics World games revealed shocking results: Nearly 70% of the Special Olympics athletes had gingivitis, 33 percent had tooth decay and 15% were sent immediately to emergency rooms with acute pain or disease.
Since then, over 1.7 million dental screenings have been completed through the Special Olympics Healthy Athlete program. For over a quarter century, Dr. Perlman has traveled the world to champion the cause of access to care for those with IDD in private practice, academics, special programs.
For his world-wide impact on dentistry and his personal commitment to impacting the lives of patients in need, Dr. Steven Perlman is inducted into the Dental Hall of Fame.
DRA. PATRICIA DIAZ (Dominican Republic)
For almost two decades she has committed her life to helping the very poorest of the poor not only receive access to dental care, but making it a priority to help them build a better life.
Since 2007 she has successfully managed over 70 dental humanitarian trips which have included over 2000 humanitarians whose lives have also been greatly influenced. She has overseen the treatment during those trips of over 5000 patients. And she has done it with not only great enthusiasm, but with professionalism and kindness.
For her commitment to doing good and her personal commitment to providing access to care that has and will impact the not only individuals but families, Dra. Patricia Diaz has been inducted into the Dental Hall of Fame
Dr. Roy and Glenda Rammond
After Graduating from the University of Washington in 1967 Dr Roy Hammond established what was soon to become one of the most recognized general dental practice’s in the country. During his forty years of practice his contributions to the profession and impoverished countries around the world are significant.
He owes a great deal of success to his wife Frances who was a most important part of his life journey until her passing in 2009 after serving on back-to-back humanitarian expeditions to the Dominican Republic. He remarried in 2010. His wife Glenda has been an invaluable part of his life’s commitment to serve the people of the world.
* He practiced dentistry in Provo, Utah for 40 years. Eight of those years with his son Chris Hammond
* He has lectured to and consulted hundreds of dentists and dental practices on practicing dentistry and balancing family, fun, service and private practice in a successful way.
* He and his wife Frances raised four children who all became involved in healthcare and participated in his dental practice and his humanitarian expeditions.
* He personally provided charity dental care to tens of thousands of patients in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Micronesia, Vietnam, Nepal, Africa, Peru, Bolivia, Ivory Coast and Guatemala. He is famously referred to as “Dr Roy” throughout the world by many that have come to love him and his family.
* He has completed more than 50 dental service missions to foreign countries.
* He has served and taught in dental schools around the world and been awarded faculty positions in dental schools in Dominican Republic and Guatemala.
* In 2006 he founded the Smiles for Hope Foundation that successfully led thousands of volunteers in volunteer service throughout the world.
* He established the dental humanitarian service program of the Crown Council that continues today.
* In 2004 he founded Learning Curves Harley Davidson Motorcycles Tours for dentists. His charity Harley ride has raised nearly $500,000 for the Smiles for Life Foundation and his dental practice contributed tens of thousands more.
* He is the recipient of the State of Utah’s Distinguished Service Award.
* Among other awards he has been named Crown Councils Humanitarian of the Year and Best Dentist to Work For.