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Dear Sarah,
Welcome to Word of Mouth, the newsletter for all who care about improving the oral health of Maine's people. To ensure that you continue to receive emails from us, add sshed@mcd.org your address book today. |
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| Watch Your Mouth Ends,
But Oral Health Communication Continues
The Watch Your Mouth campaign in Maine is officially over at the end of this month. In the past two years, through radio, newspapers, television, newsletters and lots of face to face talking, Mainers have learned what Watching Your Mouth really means.
Many more of us - parents, educators, health care providers, and elected officials - now understand the critical importance of children's oral health and what we can do within our communities and our state to ensure healthy mouths for kids. Just as important, those of us in "the business" of oral health have learned how to talk about, to "frame", the issues in a way that moves oral health policy forward.
The Maine Dental Access Coalition will carry on the work of WYM, using the strategies of the State's Oral Health Improvement Plan to move ahead on children's oral health issues.
The next few issues of Word of Mouth will feature the good work of the community groups that received WYM mini-grants through MDAC and the Bingham Program.
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ACAP's Campaign to "Watch Your Mouth"
The Aroostook County Action Program took WYM messages to the newspapers, the TV stations, the Mall and the Top O'Maine Trade Show in Madawaska! In addition to getting a ton of media exposure, they gave WYM presentations to parents and families at all four Child and Family Centers throughout the County. The Project gained an added bonus when the media attention lead to a connection with University of Maine at Orono. UMO health students will be sending student voluteers to work at the Centers this summer. Thanks to Mary Warren, Caroline Kimball and Vicki Helstrom for leading this project so successfully. |
 At the Federal Level:
Action Alerts
Support for Block Grant Funding
Urge our Congressional Representatives to support the Labor Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill. To find out more go here.
Keep Dental Coverage in SCHIP! Senate Finance Committee will soon decide
Reauthorization of SCHIP (The State Children's Health Insurance Program) is now being considered by the US Senate Finance Committee, and the inclusion of dental benefits for children is in doubt. Maine's Senators are not on the Finance Committee, but they need to hear from constituents that dental benefits for children continue to be of great importance.
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| The mission of the Maine Dental Access Coalition is to advocate for and improve access to quality preventative and comprehensive oral health care for all Maine residents. |
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