logo
Stay Well Health offers free dental care for kids in Waterbury

Stay Well Health offers free dental care for kids in Waterbury

Yahoo23-02-2025
WATERBURY, Conn. (WTNH) — Local dentists and dental hygienists volunteered their time and skills Saturday morning for Stay Well Health's Give Kids a Smile Day in Waterbury.
Families gathered at the Stay Well Health Center on South Main Street for free dental care for children without dental insurance.
The event was part of a nationwide effort by the American Dental Association to ensure that kids can keep healthy smiles.
'We started about 18 years ago as a part of a national trend,' said President and CEO of Stay Well Health, Don Thompson. 'It stopped during covid and we decided to start it again this year and see how it goes.'
Cleanings, x-rays, fluoride treatments and fillings were all available to visiting families. They were able to see 54 children Saturday.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Connecticut leaders address use of controversial chemical diquat against hydrilla
Connecticut leaders address use of controversial chemical diquat against hydrilla

Yahoo

time19-07-2025

  • Yahoo

Connecticut leaders address use of controversial chemical diquat against hydrilla

DEEP RIVER, Conn. (WTNH) — Connecticut leaders are addressing concerns about the use of the controversial chemical diquat to combat hydrilla. Diquat dibromide is approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency for aquatic use, but is currently banned in the European Union. Conversation has stirred online — including stemming from a petition with close to 20,000 signatures — pointing to concerns over the chemical's use in state waterways. Known as a severe irritant, some studies have shown it could also pose harm to aquatic life. 'The evidence to date shows that any negative effects on aquatic life are short term and reversible. The impacts of hydrilla are not,' Alicea Charamut of the Rivers Alliance of Connecticut said Friday. Through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, plans are in place to treat waterways via sub-surface injection into limited ponds, coves and marinas state-wide. If left unchecked, experts say the overgrowth of hydrilla could lead to depleted oxygen levels in waterways, affecting local wildlife and fauna. 'Hydrilla is really the greater evil,' Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Mason Trumble said, 'It can spread really quickly.' State leaders say the decision to use the herbicide was not made lightly. Greg Bugbee of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, who worked closely with the Army Corps of Engineers, explained Friday that multiple test sites, public hearings and workshops over the span of three years were brought into consideration. 'They wanted to test all options that they knew could possibly work,' Bugbee said. According to a public notice sent by the Army Corps of Engineers, treatment will be happening at these locations: Chester Creek in Chester Deep River in Deep River Hamburg Cove in Lyme Joshua Creek in Lyme Mattabesset River in Middletown Parker's Point in Chester an expanded Portland Boat Works in Portland Post and Pratt Coves in Deep River Salmon River in East Haddam Selden Creek in Lyme Lake Pocotopaug in East Hampton Pameacha Pond in Middletown Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword

Connecticut leaders announce increased funding for Community Health Centers
Connecticut leaders announce increased funding for Community Health Centers

Yahoo

time17-07-2025

  • Yahoo

Connecticut leaders announce increased funding for Community Health Centers

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Connecticut leaders, including Gov. Ned Lamont (D), held a news conference Wednesday morning to announce an increase in financial support for Connecticut's Community Health Centers. Gunshot victim walks into New Haven hospital, police investigating The nonprofit, community-based facilities provide primary and preventative care to everyone, regardless of income or insurance status. Gov. Lamont said that service is crucial right now. 'I think it represents the very best in health care in our country,' Gov. Lamont said. 'Something we ought to try to replicate.' The state's Community Health Centers serve approximately 440,000 people each year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword

Arkansas one of several states weighing fluoride ban
Arkansas one of several states weighing fluoride ban

Yahoo

time16-07-2025

  • Yahoo

Arkansas one of several states weighing fluoride ban

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont this week signed legislation requiring the state to keep fluoride at existing levels. But Florida and Utah have banned adding fluoride to drinking water, and other states may follow, as the decades-old practice of adding it to public drinking is facing renewed attacks, including from the federal government. Arkansas state Sen. Bryan King, a cattle and poultry farmer in Fayetteville, told CBS News he has "concerns" about adding fluoride to water. Since 2011, when the state mandated most public drinking water to include fluoride, King has thrown his anti-fluoride voice behind a handful of bills seeking to repeal that mandate. Fluoride is a natural mineral. It strengthens teeth and fights dental decay. It's been added to the U.S.'s public drinking supply since the 1940s. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rated fluoride as one of the top ten public health achievements of the 20th century. And according to the American Dental Association, "70 years of research, thousands of studies and the experience of more than 210 million Americans tell us that water fluoridation is effective in preventing cavities and is safe for children and adults." "If that's the case, they need to individually go out to each water district and sell it to the people there, and let them make their own water decisions," King said. At least 19 states have considered legislation to remove, ban or make fluoride optional in public drinking water this year. One of fluoride's most prominent critics is Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In the latest skirmish over science, fluoride opponents argue that at high levels, it can lead to kidney and liver damage and lower IQs in children. The National Institutes of Health's toxicology program in 2024 determined "with moderate confidence" that there is a link between high levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQs in children. That conclusion was based on studies involving fluoride levels of about twice the recommended limit for drinking water. The American Academy of Pediatrics has questioned the validity of the NIH's report, noting it had "important limitations," including the high fluoride levels, and that other reviews have come to different conclusions about fluoride's risks and benefits. The EPA in 2011 lowered the recommended limit for fluoride in water to cut down on fluorosis — when spots appear on kids' teeth — and in the wake of a 2006 report from the National Academy of Sciences that found a lifetime of overconsumption of fluoride can lead to weakened, brittle bones and teeth. At Arkansas' Fort Smith water system, Lance McAvoy, who oversees the system, told CBS News it's monitored 24/7. "We actually take samples every 15 minutes to verify the online equipment," McAvoy said, adding there had never been an instance of significantly higher fluoride levels to date. Dentists such as Kenton Ross, who also serves as president of Arkansas' dental association, say the science supporting fluoride is indisputable. "You're gonna see a 25% reduction in tooth decay," Ross said of adding fluoride to drinking water. "We have over 75 years of research over community fluoridation." For dentists, losing fluoride could mean losing the battle against tooth decay. "It's gonna affect the children the worst because if they don't get it, we can't put it in later in life," Ross said. Trump pushes senators to make $9.4 trillion in spending cuts Child rescued after getting stuck in claw machine Fight over fluoride in water continues, despite warnings from dentists

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store