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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.
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Oral Health Coalitions Web Portal
Now there is a way for all the oral health coalitions across the country to share experiences and ideas through the Oral Health Coalitions Web Portal. Please visit www.ohcwp.org (oral health coalitions web portal), and register. The web portal allows for forum discussions on many topics, and through the web portal, you can join an oral health coalitions listserv, which can be used for immediate communication with the group, announcements, news, and to ask people to respond to your questions on the site.
Oral Health America has developed the site through a Cooperative Agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The site will be updated frequently, and deliver relevant and timely information on oral health programs and policy nationwide. The Children's Dental Health Project is a policy partner for the portal, and the site also features an RSS feed from several news sites that allow you to see the latest oral health news.
MDAC looks forward to being an active particpant in this forum. |
| Maine News
Strong Dental Program Reopens
The Strong Dental Program is now accepting new patients from all parts of Maine. Strong, a Federally Qualified Health Center, accepts all insurances, including MaineCare. In addition they offer an Affordable Care Program that enables patients who qualify to obtain reduced fee dental services based on family size and income. Please call 207-684-3045 to make an appointment. Strong Area Health Center also offers medical services to patients of all ages.
Soda and Food Stamps
Pediatric dentist Jonathan Shenkin, has proposed applying for a waiver that will allow Maine to prohibit the purchase of soda with food stamps. Read on here for an article from the Bangor Daily News. Maine Coast Community Dental Clinic in the News
The Ellsworth American has an article on The Maine Coast Community Dental Clinic which is starting to offer mobile dental clinics at schools and on nearby islands under the direction of Dr Timothy Oh and the new community programs director, Carol Williams RDH. Read on here. |
Oral Health Legislation
This session promises to be a difficult one for everyone. The only definite bills we know about at this point are a resubmission of last year's MDA bill,
An Act To Provide Dental Care for Pregnant Women and New Mothers Receiving MaineCare Benefits, which extends MaineCare dental and oral health services to a woman who is eligible for MaineCare because of pregnancy and for 60 days following the delivery of the child, and a bill requesting MaineCare dental rates get raised to 75th (or 50th) percentile of the New England rates.
There are several more bills under discussion, including one that would focus on increasing a range of benefits for pregnant women, including oral health benefits.
The MDAC policy committee will begin developing legislative strategy this month.
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| Kids Oral Health Partnership News
KOHP is teaming up with Dental Societies around the state to invite local health care providers to share a meal and talk about providing services to the 0-3 year olds in their communities. If you would like to be part of these conversations, either as a host or a guest, contact KOHP.
If your organization or office would like to receive free training on promoting early oral health, and identifying and addressing oral health problems in children 0-5 years  , contact bvaughan@mcd.org. or go to the Resources for Providers page at www.kohp.org to sign up directly. For notification of up coming training, contact Bonnie Vaughan at the above email. |
| MDAC News
Next Quarterly Meeting: December 5, 2008  in Augusta, at MCD at 9:00 AM
Policy Action Workgroup meets Dec 3, at MCD 9:00AM
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| Become a Word of Mouth Contributor
If your organization has an event or an accomplishment you would like to share please send it on. If there are oral health issues and policies you would like to to see addressed in this forum, let us know. |
| 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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