Below is the Executive Summary section of the Maryland Oral Health Plan, 2026-2030. Click here to download the full document.
Executive Summary
Overview of Oral Health in Maryland
Since the launch of the 2018-2023 Maryland Oral Health Plan (MOHP), the Maryland Dental Action Coalition (MDAC) and the oral health community have made significant progress on the plan’s goals, including an historical, statewide, multi-year campaign to secure comprehensive dental coverage for adults in Maryland Medicaid. This coverage has expanded access to oral health care to hundreds of thousands of Maryland residents.
Other accomplishments during the 2018-2023 period include establishing a Task Force on Oral Health, which convened stakeholders to review oral health care; identify barriers to accessing care; address community level disparities in oral health; and propose strategies to increase access to oral health care in Maryland. Notable achievements also include expanding dental coverage to 12 months postpartum for new mothers enrolled in Medicaid and through the Healthy Babies Equity Act to immigrants during pregnancy and four months postpartum. Dental hygienists can now work in additional practice settings due to a Maryland law that expanded scope of practice to include working under general supervision in nursing homes, physicians’ offices and other settings. Additionally, the Department of Health increased Medicaid reimbursement rates for dental services in 2022 and 2023.
However, many oral health challenges persist, and new ones have emerged. Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas continue to impact access. Between 2018 and 2023, Maryland saw a decrease in the number of practicing dentists and dental hygienists. The workforce shortage has decreased access to care for Marylanders and disproportionally affected those in rural areas and Baltimore City. The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic added to the oral health workforce shortage, substantially impacting oral health.
Maryland is experiencing some concerning downward trends in key oral health indicators, particularly among children. For example, more children are experiencing tooth decay,1 and the incidence of throat and mouth cancers has increased.2 Maryland must continue its work to expand equitable access to oral health care and improve the overall health of its marginalized communities. Improving access to oral health care, reducing oral disease and injury, and improving health literacy and oral health education will help us move forward in advancing optimal oral health for all Marylanders.
Oral Health Plan for Maryland 2026-2030
This MOHP builds on the successes of the previous two state plans (2011 and 2018), providing a roadmap to accomplishing critical goals and objectives in three key areas: access to oral health care; oral disease and injury prevention; and oral health literacy and education. The MOHP is centered on achieving optimal oral and overall health equity and contains a new section on tracking accomplishments to help us monitor, adjust and celebrate our progress in advancing oral health in Maryland.
- Access to Oral Health Care: All Maryland residents need access to affordable, comprehensive oral health care to prevent and treat oral disease and improve their overall health and quality of life. The goals and strategies in this area focus on addressing gaps in access to oral health care for Maryland communities, including children, underserved individuals and Medicaid participants, as well as support dental providers to deliver care.
- Oral Disease and Injury Prevention: Prevention of oral disease and injury is essential for good oral health and is especially important for people with special health needs. The goals and strategies in this area focus on advancing evidence-based oral disease and injury prevention strategies through environmental and community interventions, and foster collaboration.
- Oral Health Literacy and Education: Maryland residents need access to accurate, easy-to-understand information to prevent oral disease and obtain affordable oral health care. The goals and strategies in this area focus on increasing personal and organizational health literacy, emphasizing the oral systemic connection and its impact on overall health, and calling for routine assessment to monitor oral health outcomes.
Implementation of the Maryland Oral Health Plan
The MOHP is a broad roadmap, rather than a prescriptive list of actions. This encourages innovative implementation strategies to meet the needs of Maryland’s diverse regions and communities. Implementation of the plan and defining next steps will be led by MDAC, in collaboration with its broad network of stakeholders. MDAC will work in coordination with statewide partners and stakeholders to develop tactics that support continued momentum toward achieving the plan’s goals.
The goal of this plan is to continue fostering working relationships and harnessing cross-regional synergies to improve the oral health of all Marylanders. The MOHP is a living and evolving document. We recognize that new opportunities will arise, and we will adjust strategies as needed.
