Popular Wally Gator Exhibit has been renovated

OHSU School of Dentistry

WHAT: Hundreds of children will be on hand for the unveiling of Wally Gator's "extreme makeover" at the annual Celebration of Smiles Day. Wally Gator is an alligator-shaped dental chair designed to help children learn about good dental care. His makeover is just in time for the Celebration of Smiles event that helps children learn about good oral health through exhibits and activities, such as a scavenger hunt, plaster tooth painting, and an exhibit called "My Mouth" that allows children to draw what they see in their own mouths.

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 29, 2005, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE: Portland Children's Museum, 4015 S.W. Canyon Road

DETAILS: The 5-year-old Wally Gator dental exhibit received new teeth, a new tummy and a new paint job thanks to A-dec and the Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry. The Celebration of Smiles event provides children with a fun environment for learning the importance of good dental care, and it helps parents learn the important role of oral health in their children's overall health.

More than 100 volunteers will be on hand, including OHSU School of Dentistry students, staff and faculty members, to help make the day a success. The event is organized and sponsored by the OHSU School of Dentistry, A-dec, ODS Companies and the dental societies of Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington and Clark counties.

One child 12 or younger will be admitted free with each paid adult admission the day of the event.

The 105-year-old School of Dentistry at OHSU is the only dental school in Oregon and one of two in the Northwest. About 80 percent of Oregon's dentists attended OHSU's School of Dentistry.