SWAG��Ƶ

The , and news on Oct. 6, 2010 covered Dental Care for ME's kickoff campaign in support of the Question 2 dental bond initiative on the Nov. 2nd ballot. Dental Care for ME – a statewide coalition of patients, dentists, health care providers, and business organizations - gathered at SWAG��Ƶ's Portland Campus to announce the campaign. Question 2 asks voters to consider investing $5 million to help build dental clinics throughout Maine. 

Of that $5 million, $3.5 million is to be used for a community-based teaching dental clinic affiliated with or operated by a college of dental medicine to be matched by $3.5 million in other funds; and $1.5 million is to be used to create or upgrade community-based health and dental care clinics across the state to increase their capacity as teaching and dental clinics.

Local dentist, Dr. Jeffrey Doss, began the press conference stating, “The crisis in dental care has been looming for nearly 20 years, and it is just getting worse. Maine already falls woefully behind the rest of the country in our dentist to patient ratio, and with nearly 40 percent of Maine dentists likely to retire over the next 10 years the problem is just going to get worse. We need more dentists, low-barrier access for patients, and real long-term solutions. A yes vote on Question 2 will help Maine begin to address the terrible crisis.”

If voters approve the referendum, SWAG��Ƶ will be in a strong position to compete for the $3.5 million to be used for a college of dental medicine clinic.