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Release list posted for Black Friday Record Store Day 2015

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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A trip to the dentist was made easy for children on Wednesday when the dentist came to them.</p><p>With the help of a grant from the United Way of Wyoming Valley, the dental clinic at Volunteers in Medicine is partnering with local child care centers to provide dental care at an early age.</p><p>Volunteers in Medicine, located at 190 S. Pennsylvania Ave., provides primary and preventive medical and dental care to low-income families of Luzerne County who otherwise would have no access to medical care and cannot afford health insurance.</p><p>Dr. Gary Hughes was at the Child Development Council Center on East Northampton Street Wednesday to perform dental screenings on about 20 children, ages 3 and 4, enrolled in the Pre-K Counts program.</p><p>According to Bill Jones, president and CEO at the United Way, Volunteers in Medicine received a $30,000 grant to administer the Healthy Smile for a Healthy Start Program. The clinic will provide preventive dental education to at-risk children on topics such as the importance of dental hygiene, brushing, flossing and healthy dietary habits.</p><p>Jones said children and their families in need of oral health services will be connected to the VIM dental clinic. The funding will support services such as dental cleanings, screenings, education and application of sealants for children.</p><p>According to the United Way website, research has shown children living in poverty often don&#8217;t practice or have access to early childhood dental care. That lack of dental care can lead to illnesses that can then impact their success in school and later in life.</p><p>Kathleen Kowalski, center director for the CDC, said having the dentist visit the classroom helps identify dental issues. She said parents will be notified of issues that need to be addressed.</p><p>&#8220;Our children do have insurances, but this is a way to detect any problems,&#8221; Kowalski said. &#8220;It&#8217;s a nicer atmosphere to have the dentist here in the classroom with all the children around. They are more comfortable going to the dentist when all of their classmates are there with them.&#8221;</p><p>About a month ago, Kowalski said representatives of Volunteers in Medicine helped prepare the children for the dentist&#8217;s visit by reviewing a dental health program.</p><p>Jones provided information about children living in poverty in Luzerne County. He said one-third of all children under the age of 5 in Luzerne County are living below the poverty line and, since 2000, the poverty rate for all children in Luzerne County has doubled.</p><p>&#8220;We intend to reduce it through our focus on education, income and health &#8212; the building blocks to a good quality life,&#8221; Jones said. &#8220;Children who live in poverty are less healthy, trail other children in emotional and intellectual development and are less likely to graduate from high school.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Liam-Percy Ndangoh 4 of Wilkes-Barre a Pre-K student at Child Development Council of Wilkes-Barre has his teeth check by Dr. Gary Hughes as assisted by Lara Gilroy, dental hygienist and Darcie Schaffer, Assistant to the Executive Director at Volunteers in Medicine, Wilkes Barre.  Clark Van Orden | Times Leader  </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_TTL102015dentalCare11.jpg</photo0><caption0>Liam-Percy Ndangoh 4 of Wilkes-Barre a Pre-K student at Child Development Council of Wilkes-Barre has his teeth check by Dr. Gary Hughes as assisted by Lara Gilroy, dental hygienist and Darcie Schaffer, Assistant to the Executive Director at Volunteers in Medicine, Wilkes Barre.  Clark Van Orden | Times Leader  </caption0><photoCredit0>Clark Van Orden | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Dentist comes to the children in new Pre-K program in Wilkes-Barre