UNE dental students again provided free care to local students; Rep. Ryan Fecteau introduced a bill to expand dental coverage for Maine children.
Contributed stories
Students from the University of New England’s College of Dental Medicine and Department of Dental Hygiene welcomed 85 elementary students from Old Orchard Beach to the university’s Oral Health Center on Friday, Feb. 6, for UNE’s fifth annual “Give Kids a Smile” event.
According to organizers, the Old Orchard Beach students received a full slate of preventive dental services at no cost, including cleanings, fluoride treatments, protective sealants, and oral health education.
The services were delivered by UNE dental medicine and dental hygiene students working together in clinical teams. Each child also received a take-home oral care kit with a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss and educational materials to support healthy habits beyond the visit.
The one-day event provided more than $14,000 in free dental care, helping remove barriers to access while introducing families to ongoing resources available through UNE’s Oral Health Center, located on UNE’s Portland Campus for the Health Sciences — the only fully integrated health sciences campus of its kind in New England.
“Untreated dental disease can lead to severe pain that impacts a child’s ability to eat and drink properly, disrupts their sleep patterns, affects their concentration, and contributes to changes in behavior,” said Nicole Kimmes, D.D.S., dean of the UNE College of Dental Medicine. “By hosting events like Give Kids a Smile, we improve access and education for the children of Maine and decrease the number impacted by these conditions right in our home communities.”
The now-annual event is part of a national Give Kids a Smile initiative coordinated by the American Dental Association, during which dentists and dental students across the country provide care to underserved children.
At UNE, the program has grown steadily since its launch in 2020 and continues to reflect the University’s commitment to improving community health while preparing future providers through hands-on, team-based learning.
“This experience, with dental hygiene and dental students working together to deliver care to children, enhances communication and delivers more comprehensive oral health education to the children coming to visit the OHC today,” said Dianne Smallidge, RDH, Ed.D., director of the undergraduate Department of Dental Hygiene at UNE.
Alexander Dyke, a UNE student who is scheduled to graduate later this year, is planning to pursue a pediatric residency. He said events like Give Kids a Smile benefit both families and students.
“The work we’re doing today is extremely important in providing underserved populations get the care they otherwise wouldn’t have,” Dyke said. “It also means that I get experience, and it means other students get experience. “We get to work with faculty and see their input on the type of ways they would go about doing that — it broadens my horizons and increases the tools in my toolbox.”
Fecteau introduces bill to expand access to dental care
Earlier this week, State Rep. Ryan Fecteau (D-Biddeford) introduced a bill to improve dental access care for children.
Fecteau’s bill – LD 2123 — seeks to modify the MaineCare Reimbursement Methodology for the provision of anesthesia for certain dental services.
Fecteau – who is currently serving as Speaker of the House – says his bill will hopefully address a growing backlog of children awaiting care for dental issues.
The legislation proposes a targeted increase to MaineCare reimbursement rates for anesthesia services provided to children at ambulatory surgery centers treating at least 50 percent for MaineCare patients. As a result, Fecteau said these centers will be able to continue their operations, increase capacity, and reduce wait times.
“Access to care is critical. Too many Maine children are suffering with tooth pain because of the limited options for care,” Fecteau said. “This bill is a key step that will help ease just a little bit of that suffering and make it more feasible for other ambulatory surgery centers to expand services for MaineCare patients.”
According to Fecteau, many children receiving MaineCare lack a “dental home,” meaning they do not have a dentist they see regularly for cleanings and other preventative care. Without this routine maintenance, curable issues – things like cavities – turn into surgical events, with long waits for care.
“No child should have to suffer in pain because of their insurance status when treatment is available,” said Becca Matusovich, Executive Director of the Children’s Oral Health Network of Maine. “LD 2123 is one important element of a comprehensive strategy to address dental disease among Maine children who have been unable to access dental care.”
The Health and Human Services Committee is scheduled to consider Fecteau’s bill in the coming weeks.
Note: This story was updated with a correction: The UNE event in Portland took place on Friday, Feb. 6, not Thursday. We apologize for the error.
_____________
Alan Bennett, Assistant Director of Communications at the University of New England, contributed to this story
Never miss an update! Subscribe for free today!
THE BIDDEFORD GAZETTE 
Sent from my iPad
LikeLike