Recent columns have made a clear case for funding L.D. 1501, a proposal to add funding to the Maine CDC’s school oral health program and to restore the program coordinator position that was eliminated about eight years ago.

The coordinator position is crucial for providing leadership, direction, and coordination of the resources Maine has, and more that can be available through federal and other funding opportunities. I know this, because the position that was eliminated was the one I held for over 15 years.

During that time, we obtained over $4 million to help us improve the oral health of all people in Maine, by enhancing our school-based oral health program, our ability to collect and analyze data, our coordination with other health promotion efforts, and evaluating program effectiveness. We developed and implemented education loan and loan repayment programs to expand Maine’s dental professional workforce. We used reliable data to describe the oral health of Mainers and to design and target effective community interventions to improve oral health for all people in Maine — across the lifespan.

L.D. 1501 proposes a modest investment to strengthen our state’s oral health care system and improve the oral health of Maine residents. Oral health is integral to overall health, and a state level program should be adequately funded and staffed. National guidelines suggest that state oral health programs with adequate infrastructure and capacity are integral to the mission of state health agencies.

L.D. 1501 has had unanimous bipartisan support in the Maine Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee and from the House and Senate, but without funding. I urge our lawmakers to fund it now through the budget process, for the sake of all Maine people.

 

Judith Feinstein

Hallowell

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