Maine Oral Health Program

Recently the Children’s Oral Health Network of Maine, with collaboration from the Maine CDC’s Oral Health Program, has released oral health videos for every well-child visit from 2 months to age 5 as well as a prenatal/introduction to the library. The videos are available in 6 different languages including English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Somali, and Portuguese. The videos can be found at Dental Steps for ME

The Maine CDC Dental Directory has been updated as of May 2023. This directory can assist you with finding dental providers who take MaineCare. The dental directory can be found here.

May 8, 2023 - CDC Updates COVID-19 Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated recommendations in the Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic. This guidance applies to all U.S. settings where healthcare is delivered, including dental settings.

CDC remains dedicated to preventing transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens in healthcare settings and will continue working to reduce the negative impact of COVID-19 after the PHE has ended.

The 2023 Kids Count Data Book has recently been released. This year’s book focuses on key indicators like Child Poverty, Child Welfare, and Teen Mental Health to name a few. You can find the data book on the Maine Children’s Alliance website (PDF).

If Saliva Was Red banner

Released January 2023!

A 5-minute digital video that uses real dental healthcare personnel (DHCP) to highlight:

  • common dental infection control and safety flaws,
  • the cross-contamination DHCP would see if saliva were red, and
  • how controlling contamination by using personal barrier protection, safe work practices, and effective infection control products, reduces the risk of exposure.

Produced without a voice track, the video uses visual rather than verbal cues to stress the need for procedure-specific dental infection control, making it a suitable training tool for classrooms and practices around the world, regardless of native language.

Also included, is the How to Tell the Story: A Facilitator's Guide. This guide provides facilitators, educators, consultants, and in-practice instructors with visual cues and talking points from the video, answers to common questions, a checklist of the elements of a comprehensive dental personnel training program, and a list of resources. 

The If Saliva Were Red video and How to Tell the Story: A Facilitator's Guide are FREE to everyone, you just need to fill out a brief form below!

Access Video & Facilitator's Guide

On November 2, 2022 the Maine Dental Board released an important notice of a health advisory issued by the US CDC regarding Nontuberculous Myobacteria (NTM) Infections. For more information please consult the Maine State Dental Board’s notice (PDF) or the US CDC’s notice here: HAN Archive - 00478 | Health Alert Network (HAN) (cdc.gov).

The Center for Tobacco Independence (CTI) has numerous educational opportunities relating to Tobacco and Nicotine use. The trainings include topics like brief interventions, updates on electronic cigarettes and tips from a tobacco treatment specialist. These opportunities can also provide CME/CEUs.

For more information about these upcoming trainings please see this website.

For more information about CTI and their other offerings please visit their webpage at Tobacco Cessation Education | Center for Tobacco Independence