A Roadmap Built Together: Maryland Dental Action Coalition Releases the 2026–2030 Maryland Oral Health Plan
MDAC’s third statewide oral health plan builds on more than a decade of coalition wins and sets Maryland’s course on access, prevention, and oral health literacy through 2030.
3–4 Minute Read
A state oral health plan is only as strong as the coalition and stakeholders behind it. In Maryland, that coalition has a long record of turning plans into policy, and it just delivered its next roadmap.
The Maryland Dental Action Coalition (MDAC), an ANOHC member coalition, has released the Maryland Oral Health Plan, 2026–2030 (MOHP), the state’s strategic roadmap for improving oral health, advancing health equity, and guiding coordinated work across Maryland’s oral health community. It is the third statewide plan MDAC has developed in partnership with the Maryland Department of Health’s Office of Oral Health, following the 2011 and 2018 editions.
MDAC officially launched the plan on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, with a one-hour webinar. The session walked participants through the plan’s key findings, highlighted its goals and strategies, and explored how individuals and organizations across the state can help put the plan into action over the next five years.
Built With Maryland, Not Just For It
MDAC developed the plan with a wide network of partners, including clinicians, nonprofits, managed care organizations, state and county governments, academic institutions, philanthropies, and Maryland consumers. The draft was also open for public comment from November 17, 2025, through January 9, 2026.
That inclusive approach reflects MDAC’s roots. The coalition began in 2007 as a state Dental Action Committee formed after the death of Deamonte Driver, a 12-year-old Medicaid enrollee who died from an untreated tooth infection. MDAC was formed as a nonprofit organization in 2010. Its work helped make Maryland a national model for children’s oral health.
Standing on a Record of Wins
The new plan opens by taking stock of what Maryland’s oral health community accomplished under the 2018–2023 plan, and the list is substantial:
- Comprehensive adult dental coverage in Medicaid. Maryland established comprehensive dental coverage for adults in Medicaid in 2023, and in the first year more than 155,000 people received dental care.
- Coverage for new and expecting parents. Medicaid dental coverage now extends 12 months postpartum, and the Healthy Babies Equity Act extended coverage to immigrants during pregnancy.
- An expanded hygienist workforce. A state law now allows dental hygienists to practice under general supervision in nursing homes, physicians’ offices, and other settings.
- Better reimbursement. The Maryland Department of Health raised Medicaid dental reimbursement rates in both 2022 and 2023.
- A statewide Task Force on Oral Health that convened stakeholders to identify barriers to care and propose strategies to address community-level disparities.
Clear-Eyed About What’s Still Ahead
The plan pairs those wins with an honest look at the challenges: rising tooth decay among children, dental workforce shortages in rural areas and Baltimore City, persistent racial and ethnic disparities, and climbing mouth and throat cancer rates.
Three Priorities for 2026–2030
- Access to Oral Health Care. Closing gaps for children, underserved communities, and Medicaid participants. Easing licensure for out-of-state and internationally trained dental providers. Charting a phased path toward Medicaid denture coverage.
- Oral Disease and Injury Prevention. Advancing evidence-based community prevention and sustaining Maryland’s community water fluoridation rate, which ranks in the nation’s top 10.
- Oral Health Literacy and Education. Making clear information available to every Marylander, helping residents find a dental home, and educating providers on the link between oral health and overall health.
New to this edition is a section for tracking accomplishments, so partners can monitor progress and celebrate wins along the way.
A Living Roadmap
MDAC describes the plan as a broad roadmap rather than a prescriptive list of actions, leaving room for implementation strategies that fit the needs of Maryland’s diverse regions and communities. MDAC will lead implementation in collaboration with its statewide network of partners and will treat the plan as a living document, adjusting strategies as new opportunities emerge.
Why This Matters for the ANOHC Network
Maryland’s plan offers a model many coalitions can learn from. It treats plan development as coalition-building, inviting both longtime partners and the public into the process. It pairs a record of policy wins with candid data on where outcomes are slipping. And it builds accountability into the plan itself through accomplishment tracking. For coalitions preparing their own state plans, it is a strong example of how a roadmap can both document progress and set an ambitious agenda for what comes next.
Read the plan: The full Maryland Oral Health Plan, 2026–2030, and section-by-section summaries are available on MDAC’s website. A two-page summary of the plan (PDF) is also available.
Get involved: Marylanders and partners who want to help implement the plan can contact MDAC at info@mdac.us or complete the MOHP Engagement Survey.
FAQ
What is the Maryland Oral Health Plan?
The Maryland Oral Health Plan, 2026–2030, is the state’s strategic roadmap for improving oral health and advancing health equity. It sets goals, strategies, and objectives to help Marylanders access affordable, high-quality oral health care.
Who developed the plan?
The Maryland Dental Action Coalition, an ANOHC member coalition, developed the plan in partnership with the Maryland Department of Health’s Office of Oral Health and stakeholders across the state, with a public comment period on the draft.
When was the plan launched?
MDAC officially launched the Maryland Oral Health Plan, 2026–2030, during a webinar on September 29, 2026.
What are the plan’s priority areas?
Access to oral health care, oral disease and injury prevention, and oral health literacy and education.
What’s new in this edition?
The 2026–2030 plan adds an oral health equity section and a new section for tracking accomplishments.
How can I get involved?
Contact MDAC at info@mdac.us to learn more and join the work of implementing the plan.
