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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 mdac@mcd.org your address book today. |
Governor Announces Oral Health Task Force
Governor Baldacci has created a Task Force on Expanding Access to Oral Health for Maine People. "The need for this Executive Order is clear. While we've been working to improve oral health, a severe lack of access to such care continues to exist, and the availability of care is not evenly distributed across the state." said the Governor, who referenced the Maine Dental Access Coalition three times in his remarks.
MDAC will be represented on the task force by our new Chair, Lisa Kavanaugh. For more details about the Task Force go to the Public Policy page on the MDAC website. | |
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 MDAC Web Site Attracting Attention
Visitors to the web site more than doubled after last months launch. If you haven't visited go now, www.mainedentalaccess.org, and let us know what you think. |
| District Health Forums: You Are Invited
The Governor's Office of Health Policy and Finance and the Maine CDC are holding public forums across the state to provide information about the emerging public health system, to review health data about each district and to seek input and ideas about health priorities for action in the next state health plan. All with an interest in public health are invited to attend.
8:30 - 9:00 (or 12:30 - 1:00 for PM times) Coffee and Networking
9:00 - 9:30 (or 1:00 - 1:30) Overview of State Health Plan, emerging public health system and district health data
9:30-10:30 (or 1:30 - 2:30) Public Comment
10:30 - 12:00 (or 2:30 - 4:00) Discussion on Local Health Officer system
October 15th Waterville PM Governor's Restaurant
October 16th Ellsworth AM Holiday Inn
Bangor PM Ramada Inn
October 17th Caribou AM Caribou Inn & Convention Center
October 24th Wells AM Village by the Sea
Portland PM Holiday Inn by the Bay
October 29th Auburn PM Hilton Garden Inn
October 30th Rockland AM Samoset Resort
AM ~ 8:30-12:00 noon
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 New England Oral Health Conference
Maine was well represented at last months Second Annual New England Rural Health Conference. For more news about the presentations and participants go here. |
| Grant Awarded for Early Prevention in Oral Health
The Oral Health Program of the Maine CDC has received a four year grant from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (US DHHS) to help improve the oral health of very young children in Maine. The three goals of the Maine Preventive Oral Health Partnerships Project (the Partnerships Project) are to:
1. Educate, build awareness and integrate oral health into existing health delivery systems
2. Enable non-dental providers to better recognize and understand oral diseases and conditions
3. Enable non-dental providers to better engage in anticipatory guidance, preventive interventions, and appropriate referral for improved oral health and oral health access.
The Project is looking to hire a Dental Hygienist/Educator for the project team. The ad is at the What's New page of the web site. | |
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| Upcoming Opportunities
Extending the Reach of Oral Health to Young Children:
What YOU Need to Know About Caries Risk Assessment and Behavior Management in the General Dental Practice
Saturday, October 27, 2007
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (registration 8:15)
Bangor, ME
Who Should Attend: Dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants who work with children in general dental practice settings
About the Course:
This one-day continuing education program emphasizes knowledge and skills needed by all staff in general dentistry practices to expand their comfort level and capacity to provide care for young children, with a focus on those age 5 and younger. By refining their skills in caries risk assessment and behavior management, dental professionals can expand their practices to include younger children and have a significant impact on oral health outcomes. This course will also include a session on managing traumatic injuries to teeth and recognizing signs of child abuse and neglect.
Faculty: Drs. Howard Needleman, Man Wai Ng and Stephen Shusterman, Children's Hospital, Boston and Harvard School of Dental Medicine
Health, Culture and Literacy: Solutions for Clear Health Communication
Nearly half of all Americans have trouble understanding and acting on health information, resulting in poor outcomes and billions of wasted dollars. Learn about practical strategies and tools for use in primary care, community health, and other settings. Health, Culture and Literacy: Solutions for Clear Health Communication - A one-day conference on Friday, October 26, 2007 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Freeport, Maine. Keynote by Anne Fadiman, New York Times bestselling author of "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down." Learn from local, regional, and national experts about the latest research on adult literacy in the US; the best new tools; making your organization patient/consumer friendly; connecting with new cultures, and more. Continuing education credits and scholarships available. Sponsored by MaineHealth and numerous partners. FMI, visit www.healthliteracyinmaine.orgRhonda J. Lamb, Director, MaineHealth Learning Resource Centers, 100 Campus Drive, Unit 106, Scarborough, ME 04074, (207) 885-7661, lambr@mmc.org < mailto:lambr@mmc.org> |
| 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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