Just days before his competition, Alonso Aviles is making sure his health is in tip-top shape when his Mexican floor hockey team takes on the world.

John Mastross of South Africa is reminded to brush the tongue as well as the teeth while practicing on a toothy stuffed animal at the Healthy Athletes program Thursday in the Egan Center. Mastross was coached by certified dental assistant M. J. Thompson of Anchorage. (Erik Hill / Anchorage Daily News)

On Friday morning, doctors are peering into his mouth, checking the health of his teeth and gums and whether he needs immediate dental care. Afterward, Aviles sits down with Florenda Womble, a University of Alaska Anchorage dental hygiene student, who hands him a fake pair of teeth and makes one request: "Show me how you brush your teeth at home."

Aviles, who doesn't speak much English, tries to understand her instructions. He takes an oversized brush and moves the bristles up and down, smiling at her as he demonstrates his teeth-brushing skills.

"You're doing a great job," she says, signaling her approval with a thumbs-up.

Aviles moves to the final station of the Special Smiles program at the 2001 World Winter Games. A woman places a green mouth guard under his teeth, making a funny face to show him how to bite down and fit it to his mouth. His teammates laugh, and Aviles joins in.

When it's all done, Aviles leaves with a dental report card marked with the best score possible: "Your teeth and gums look great."

The Special Olympics have provided this and several other Healthy Athletes programs for almost a decade because many athletes don't fare as well as Aviles. On Thursday, the Special Smiles portion of the program checked the teeth of more than 100 athletes.

"One-third had pain or needed emergency care," said Dr. Steven Perlman, the Massachusetts dentist who started Special Smiles in the early 1990s.

Similar statistics prevail for other health problems. At the 1999 Summer World Games in North Carolina, more than 50 percent of the U.S. athletes were overweight. About 20 percent of athletes from foreign countries weighed too much. Almost one-fourth of the athletes screened at past Special Olympics competitions failed hearing tests, said Stephen Corbin of Washington, D.C., who's overseeing the Healthy Athletes program.

The goal of Healthy Athletes programs at city, state and even world Games is to meet the neglected health needs of Special Olympic athletes who might have inadequate care in their countries. Physicians of all types try to provide care in a relaxed, entertaining environment. Between checkups at the Special Olympic Town in the Egan Center, athletes can bake bread, rock climb or call family back home.

"What we want to do is give them the attention that they don't normally get in an environment that's more to their liking," Corbin said. Most of the medical care is provided by volunteers, many of whom are from Alaska. Everything is free for the athletes.

During an examination, physicians with Healthy Athletes look for problems they can immediately fix and alert the athletes and their coaches about more serious problems that should be addressed as soon as possible. Before the Special Olympics are over, Corbin wants the program's physicians to tend to the health needs for 1,000 athletes, about half of the athletes expected at the Games.

The organizers of the Healthy Athletes program also hope to train physicians who can promote better health for people with disabilities worldwide.

"Whether they're from Spain, Italy, Rwanda, Alabama or Alaska, they can receive care," Corbin said.

The Special Smiles program that Aviles participated in is one of five programs in the 2001 World Winter Games Healthy Athletes project. When athletes visit the Egan Center before the end of the Games, they'll be able to have their vision tested with Opening Eyes, a program sponsored by Lions Club International. Afterward, they can walk downstairs to have their hearing tested at the Healthy Hearing headquarters. Corbin said the staff will make ear plugs for athletes who want to use them while swimming.

Next door to the hearing program is "Funfitness," which was developed by the American Physical Therapy Association to improve the performance of Special Olympics athletes, said physical therapist Toni Sparrow. The program's directors test athletes' strength by seeing how many situps they can do in a minute. They check balance by asking athletes to stand on one leg with their eyes closed.

"The chief reason for doing it is to educate athletes about how they can better improve their performance by identifying areas of weakness, be they balance, strength or flexibility," Sparrow said.

The last part of the Healthy Athletes program is the Athlete Health Promotion Center. The staff there talks to athletes about health concerns like weight and preventative care, such as wearing seat belts and protecting skin from the sun, Corbin said.

Athletes leave the Healthy Athletes program with gear they can keep. Some athletes with vision problems receive a pair of glasses, said Anchorage optometrist Patrick Reber. Physicians use donated frames and lenses to make glasses on site for the athletes. Ideally, athletes will have their new eyeglasses before they leave the Games, but if the prescription is difficult to fill it could take longer, Reber said.

On his way out of the Special Smiles program, Aviles carries a bag filled with a toothbrush, toothpaste and other items, his green mouth guard to use during his hockey match, and a passport with one stamp in it.

He, just like the other athletes, has to visit all of the Healthy Athletes stations and have his passport stamped there before he can receive an electric toothbrush donated by Sonicare.

Aviles knows that one stamp is not enough, so he waits for his teammates. It's time to go visit the eye doctor.

Reporter Ann Potempa can be reached at apotempa@adn.com or at 257-4581.