1. Progress Through Partnerships
Oral Health in Maryland, 2007- 2012
Office of Oral Health
Maryland Department of
Health and Mental Hygiene
Baltimore, MD
John Welby, MS, Literacy Campaign Project Director
4.11.12

2. Maryland Receives National
Recognition
 The PEW Center on the States “The State of
Children's Dental Health” Report Card:
 Maryland awarded an “A” for oral health. Maryland
received the highest grade in the country for its
innovative efforts in serving low-income children

3. Deamonte Driver, 12
Died February 25, 2007

4. Maryland Takes Action
 Maryland Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene
John M. Colmers creates the Dental Action Committee
(DAC)
 The DAC was charged with providing
recommendations to increase access to oral health
care for all Maryland children.
Fix the States Dental Crisis

5. DAC Partners Come Together
 Advocates for Children and Youth, Carroll County Health
Department, Doral Dental USA, Head Start, Maryland Academy
of Pediatrics, Maryland Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Maryland
Assembly on School-Based Health Care, Maryland Association of
County Health Officers, Maryland Community Health Resources
Commission, Maryland Dental Hygienists Association, Maryland
Dental Society, Maryland Medicaid Advisory Committee,
Maryland Office of Oral Health, Maryland Medical Care Programs
(Medicaid), Maryland Oral Health Association, Maryland State
Dental Association, Maryland State Department of Education
Medicaid Matters-Maryland, Mid-Atlantic Association of
Community Health Centers, Morgan State University, National
Dental Association, Parent’s Place of Maryland, Priority Partners
MCO, Public Justice Center, United Healthcare MCO, University
of Maryland Dental School

6. Recommendations of the DAC
 Create a single payer Medicaid program
 Increase Medicaid reimbursement rates
 Enhance dental public health infrastructure
 Establish a public health level dental hygienist
 Create and implement oral health messaging
 Conduct dental screening in schools
 Provide training to dental and medical
providers

7. Accomplishments of the DAC
 Single Payer – Maryland Healthy Smiles, DentaQuest
 Increase reimbursement – FY 09 State budget, three-year plan to
increase rates
 Enhance PH infrastructure – $1.5 million established safety net dental
clinics across the state
 Establish public health dental hygienist – October 2008 legislature
establishes dental hygienists roll in public health setting
 Develop appropriate messaging - Congress funds $1.2 million statewide
Oral health Literacy Program
 Conduct dental screening in schools – Launched PG county
demonstration project
 Offer training to dental and medical providers – Fluoride varnish program

8. What we learned from the DAC
 Opportunity to develop trust and common
understanding among diverse stakeholders
 Promoted information exchange
 Created community with commitment to a
common goal
 Broke down barriers and animosities
 Pooled resources and political capital

9. DAC – A Model for
Moving Forward in Maryland
 2009 – DAC becomes MDAC
 Committee becomes Coalition
 Independent (does not report to state)
 Broader focus (all oral health)
 Flexibility (numbers, relationships, resources)
 Advocacy (lobbying becomes possible, advocates
take the lead)
 Fund raising capability (self sustaining)
 More diverse partners (community involvement)

10. MDAC Initiatives
 Carried out DAC recommendations
 Develop and Launch Maryland Oral Health Plan
 Communicate through media
 Annual Deamonte Driver Press Conference
 Deamonte Driver Dental Van Project Events
 Maryland Oral Health Heroes Events
 First Maryland Oral Health Summit
 Advocate and lobby for legislative and regulatory changes
 Healthy Teeth, Healthy Kids: The Maryland Oral Health Literacy
Campaign (corporate support)
 Grants:
 CDC
 DentaQuest
 Kaiser
 MOHA

11. The Maryland Oral Health
Literacy Campaign
Healthy Teeth, Healthy Kids
 Partnerships developed for:
 Strategic guidance
 Political support
 Enhance outreach
 Funding
 In-kind Donations
 Broaden Marketing
 Enhance Outreach

12. OOH Strategic Alliance
with MDAC
 Healthy Teeth, Healthy Kids: Maryland Oral
Health Literacy Campaign
 Campaign Brands under MDAC
 Allows for-profit and non-profit partners
 Leverage funds to enhance campaign impact and
sustain efforts
 Opportunity to expand MDAC brand awareness
 Reach more people
 Greater impact
 Enhance awareness and access to oral health care

13. Healthy Teeth, Healthy Kids
Strategic Partnership Council

14. Strategic Partnership Council
120 Participants Statewide
June 23, 2011
Included were: primary care physicians, ob/gyn, pediatricians, nurse
practitioners, physician assistant, dentists, pediatric dentists, dental
hygienists, WIC, head start, early head start, birthing centers, nurses,
Maryland State Dental Association, Maryland Dental Action Coalition,
Maryland Oral Health Association, Maryland Pharmacist Association,
Maryland Dental Hygienist Organization, Maryland Academy of
Pediatrics, The Nurse Practitioner Association of Maryland, Maryland
Academy of Family Physicians, Advocates for Children and Youth,
managed care organizations, FQHC, DentaQuest, community health
clinics, children’s organizations, hospitals, social workers, state
government departments, state, county and city health departments,
higher education organizations, University of Maryland Dental School,
Maryland School of Public Health, Medicaid, CHIP, medical schools,
newborn nursery, child care centers, foundations, Mid-Atlantic
Association of Community Health Centers, Community Health Integrated
Partnership

15. The Maryland Oral Health
Literacy Campaign
Healthy Teeth, Healthy Kids
Strategic Partnership Council:
 Validate/modify assumptions & parameters
 Discuss barriers and opportunities
 Identify strategy and tactics
 Pledge a commitment of support

16. SPC – Commitments
 Distribute information, materials, kits
 Educate others, staff, patients
 Add or post information
 Design and produce materials
 Contribute funds
 Update curriculum
 Provide experts or expertise

17. Progress in Maryland
 Increased access to Medicaid services by 63%
 Increased dentist participation in Medicaid by
80%
 CDC ranked Maryland #1 in fluoridated water
 Before 2008 only half of MD counties have
access to public health dental services. Since
2008 every county in MD
PEW grade of “A” for access to care for children

18. What We Have Learned
Partnerships in Oral Health
 Have a goal bigger than yourself
 Commitment
 Leave ego at the door
 Create a sense of urgency
 Importance of
 Trust
 Cooperation
 Compromise
 Openness
 Luck

19. http://healthyteethhealthykids.org/tv-ad/
TV Ad

20. Thank You
Office of Oral Health
Maryland Department of
Health and Mental Hygiene
Baltimore MD