title: Breaking the cycle in Maryland: oral health policy change in the face of tragedy.
abstract: In response to the death of a young child, efforts by many partners have enabled Maryland to institute oral health reforms that ensure that low-income children remain visible and have continued access to dental services. This paper shows how proponents of oral health in Maryland used issues that were already on the oral health policy agenda to break the cycle of nonaction and become a role model for other states. Deriving from the knowledge and advice of an advisory committee, Maryland administrators and state and federal legislators, with the support of many community partners, took appropriate action to elevate the oral health agenda. Maryland continues to address oral health issues, ensuring that the policy agenda is inclusive of all its citizens.
authors.affiliation: Office of Oral Health, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Baltimore, MD, USA. nthuku@dhmh.state.md.us
authors.forename: Njeri M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Thuku
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Carulli
authors.forename: Stacy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Costello
authors.forename: Harold S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Goodman
mesh_terms: D026683:Advisory Committees; D002648:Child; D019058:Community Networks; D003729:Dental Care / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006291:Health Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006292:Health Priorities / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D008396:Maryland; D008484:Medicaid / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D009909:Oral Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D011050:Policy Making; D011203:Poverty; D014481:United States; D035862:Vulnerable Populations