Health & Fitness

Better Coverage for Better Teeth

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Statewide

On July 1, adults with MaineCare became automatically enrolled in full dental benefits with access to care like cleanings, fillings, and diagnostic tests, replacing an “emergency-only” benefit covering treatment only for pain or infection that had been in place since 1989. The change to MaineCare follows a three-year campaign led by low-income Mainers, dentists, and other providers and advocates, and championed by Governor Janet Mills and legislators from both sides of the aisle. In 2021, the Maine legislature unanimously supported a bill (LD 996) that was later adopted and enacted as part of the budget proposed by the governor. According to the governor’s office, this marks the first time Maine has ever exercised its option under federal law to provide full dental care including prevention, treatment, and dentures as part of its Medicaid program.

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is in charge of rolling out the new benefit and has conducted a months-long stakeholder process with dentists and providers, individual MaineCare members, and health care advocates at the table. At the same time as benefits are expanding for adults, the state is increasing the reimbursement rates for MaineCare patients (both adults and kids) and making it simpler for health care providers to accept MaineCare.

A 2021 report from the Health Policy Institute found that Maine can save millions in medical care costs and see more than $21 million annually in economic benefits from covering full dental care for adults with low incomes. Dental care also has the potential to strengthen public health and Maine’s economy. Poor oral health often impacts Mainers’ mental health, employability, and ability to be a full part of their communities or care for their families. According to an American Dental Association survey, in Maine, 45% of people with low income say they avoid smiling because of the state of their teeth and mouth, and one in three people say the appearance of their mouth and teeth affects their ability to get a job.

“Maine is joining the great majority of states in recognizing that our mouths are a part of our bodies, and that dental care is health care. This is a life-changing step forward for Maine people, our communities, and our workforce,” said Maine Equal Justice director of health care campaigns and advocacy Kathy Kilrain del Rio. “In fact, dental care for adults is a big achievement in Maine’s progress on health care.”

Dental and health care advocates who supported the threeyear campaign to improve dental care under MaineCare include the Maine Dental Association, Maine Oral Health Coalition, Partnership for Children’s Oral Health, Maine Primary Care Association, Northeast Delta Dental, Southern Maine Workers’ Center, and Maine Consumers for Affordable Health Care.

MaineCare members who have questions about their benefit or how to find a provider can visit www.maineequaljustice.org/help-is-available/ health-care, or call MaineCare Member Services at 1-800-9776740.

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STATEWIDE -

Women in Maine may continue wonder where they stand after the Supreme Court’s recent overturning of the right to abortion care on a national level, especially when it comes to their legal rights vis-à-vis other states that may criminalize abortion.

In addition to Maine laws that mandate access to abortion care and that require most insurance plans to cover it, Governor Janet Mills recently signed an executive order to further safeguard that access and to protect Maine health care providers and their patients. According to the governor’s office, the order prohibits state agencies from cooperating with another state’s investigation into a person, organization, or health care provider for delivering abortion care in Maine; directs state agencies to conduct a review of laws and regulations for barriers to reproductive health care and exercise discretionary authority under the law to remove or minimize those barriers; and makes clear that the governor will exercise her authority within the law to decline extradition attempts from other states pursuing criminal charges against a person for receiving or performing abortion care.

The full text of the order, FY 21/22 Executive Order #4, can be found at www. maine.gov/governor/mills/ official_documents. For more information on abortion care, women can consult their physician or contact family planning organizations such as Maine Family Planning or Planned Parenthood of Northern New England.

How to Safely Handle Contact Lenses

Billions of people across the globe wear corrective lenses to improve their vision.

Eyeglasses and contact lenses perform similar functions, but there are big differences in regard to how to maintain these popular eyewear options.

Estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that around 45 million people in the United States wear contact lenses. Unlike eyeglasses, which can be quickly cleaned with lens cleaner and stored in a safe place to ensure frames don’t brake when they aren’t being worn, contact lenses require significant maintenance. Such maintenance ensures that contact lenses continue to work properly and also keeps the eyes safe from infection and other potential issues.

How to Handle Contact Lenses

The US Food and Drug Administration notes that the consequences can be significant if contact lenses are not cleaned properly, changed appropriately, or handled properly. Infections that can lead to vision loss and other side effects, such as pain, blurred vision, and redness, are all potential side effects if contact lens wearers don’t properly care for their contacts.

Wearing contact lenses is second nature for many people, and that can lead some to overlook the kind of daily maintenance necessary to keep contacts safe and reduce risk for eye infection. The contact lens experts at Bausch + Lomb remind people to follow these rules when handling contact lenses.

Do not touch your lenses until you have washed your hands thoroughly with a mild soap, rinsed your hands completely, and dried them with a lint-free towel.

Avoid certain soaps. Soaps that contain cold cream, lotion, or oily cosmetics should be avoided before handling contact lenses, as residue from these substances can stick to the lenses, potentially causing pain, irritation, or blurred vision.

Handle lenses with your fingertips. When holding contact lenses, hold them between fingertips, not with your fingernails. Fingernails can damage contact lenses if scraped against them, potentially compromis- ing your ability to see.

Adhere to manufacturer’s instructions. Contact solution labels and contact manufacturer instructions should be strictly adhered to. These guidelines are often product-specific, and Bausch + Lomb notes that not all solutions are safe with all lenses. Whenever you order new lenses, particularly when changing brands, be sure to read maintenance instructions carefully and confirm with your ophthalmologist which solution you should use with your new lenses.

Tens of millions of people wear contact lenses every day. When wearing such lenses, emphasize safe handling at all times to reduce your risk of eye infection.

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Recently, due to another detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Maine in a small, non-commercial group of backyard birds on June 28, Maine animal health officials with the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, announced the continuation of their advisory recommending cancellation or postponement of events involving fowl.

The advisory reads, in part, “The risk for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) remains high, and bird owners are advised to keep birds indoors to prevent the spread of this disease. Animal health officials in Maine now recommend that all competitions, exhibitions, shows, swaps, or other in-person events encouraging the gathering or comingling of domestic fowl or poultry be postponed until at least 30 days after the last detection of an infected flock in our state. The risk assessment for HPAI transmission is ongoing and dependent on dynamic factors such as weather and wild bird migratory patterns. As the southern migration begins this fall, adjustments to our flock management practices may remain necessary to protect these birds.”

For organizers who proceed with a poultry event, the department lists important guidelines on its website www.maine.gov/ dacf/ahw/animal_health. For a complete snapshot of HPAI in Maine, the state’s response, a list of frequently asked questions, and additional HPAI resources, visit maine.gov/dacf/ hpai. To report sick poultry or unusual domestic bird deaths, call the USDA’s toll-free sick bird hotline at 1-866-536-7593. To report a strange-acting or dead wild bird, call the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife at 207-287-8000.

Contaminated water supplies pose a significant threat to human health. According to the World Health Organization, contaminated water is linked to a host of diseases, including cholera, diarrhea, dys- entery, and hepatitis A, among others. Sources of drinking water are subject to contamination, and many people may have no idea if their water is safe for consumption, or what they should do to ensure it is.

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The Environmental Protection Agency notes that many testing laboratories or services supply sample containers to individuals interested in having their water tested. But that leaves the question of when to test water. The EPA indicates that certain conditions and activities may warrant having water tested for the presence of various things that can make individuals sick.

Condition: Recurrent gastrointestinal illness. Recommended test: Coliform bacteria.

Condition: Household plumbing contains lead. Recommended test: Pit, lead, copper.

Condition: Scaly residues, soaps don’t lather. Recommended test: Hardness.

Condition: Water softener needed to treat hardness. Recommended test: Manganese, iron.

Condition: Stained plumbing fixtures, laundry. Recom- mended test: Iron, copper, manganese.

Condition: Foul taste or smell. Recommended test: Hydrogen sulfide, corrosion, metals.

Condition: Cloudy, frothy or colored water. Recommended test: Color, detergents.

Condition: Corrosion of pipes, plumbing. Recommended test: Corrosion, pH, lead.

Condition: Rapid wear of water treatment equipment. Recommended test: pH, corrosion.

Condition: Nearby areas of intensive agriculture. Recommended test: Nitrate, pesticides, coliform bacteria.

Condition: Coal or other mining operation nearby. Recommended test: Metals, pH, corrosion.

Condition: Odor of gas or fuel oil, and near gas station or buried fuel tanks. Recommended test: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Condition: Salty taste and seawater, or a heavily salted

Take Action Against Radon

No one is invulnerable to cancer. When it comes to reducing their cancer risk, individuals take many steps, including changing their diets and following recommended timelines for various health screenings. However, one important strategy may never occur to the average person: getting one’s home tested for radon.

The U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency reports that radon accounts for roughly 21,000 deaths from lung cancer each year. In fact, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in people who don’t smoke, according to the American Cancer Society.

Radon is a natural substance that is produced from rocks and dirt in the ground, but that doesn’t make it safe. Radon is always present in the air in low concentrations, but heavy concentrations are dangerous. This can occur when too much radon gas from underneath a home leaks into a residence and builds up inside. The higher the radon levels and the longer the duration of exposure, the greater the risk for illness.

Radon is odorless and colorless, so there is no way to know roadway nearby. Recommended test: Chloride, TDS, sodium. if it is present without a specific radon test kit. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention says that affordable radon kits are available from hardware stores and can be ordered from the National Radon Program Services website at www.sosradon.org/test-kits.

Various conditions can be indicative of a contaminated water supply. When such conditions arise, individuals should not hesitate to have their water tested.

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Not all tests are the same, so it is important to read the directions. Depending on the test, it may take a few days or many months to finish the test and wait for the results from the testing laboratory.

If test results show a radon level of 4 picocuries per liter (pCiL) or higher, it’s adviseable to do a second test. If that test also comes back high, the issue will require remediation. A radon expert can provide advice and some solutions. Large radon problems typically require the services of a mitigation contractor to fix the home radon issues.

The CDC also advises people who have well water to get the well tested for radon, as sometimes well water can carry radon into the house, too.

Radon is a problem that can affect newer and older homes alike. Simple testing can determine if radon needs to be addressed or if a home is safe. It’s a routine safety measure homeowners should not overlook.

The Weekly Sentinel does not endorse any products or services suggested by thirdparty sources.