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Five-year-old Sonia Smith of East Harlem is exited to visit the dentist.

"It's good to brush your teeth," she says.

The Columbia University Mobile Dental Center is a frequent visitor at the Association to Benefit Children, Echo Park Early Childhood Center in East Harlem. Its dentists provide free dental cleaning and work for kids ages three to five.

Julie Polan, the school's health coordinator, says her goal is to make sure every child gets seen by the dentist.

"Not all of them have access to appropriate dental care and oral health is such an important component of overall general health," says Polan.

It is especially important since the dentists say almost every child they see in the neighborhood has cavities.

"Julie just makes sure that each of these kids are really followed, treated, and it doesn't really happen everywhere else," says Asma Muzaffar, one of the dentists on board.

"She goes out, she gets the parents, calls them, contacts them. She gets them here on a day when they can't make it, she will go physically and pick them up herself," says dental van driver John McCormick. "She has already gone to hospitals to clinics if we couldn't do the work."

Polan spends her days bringing students to and from the van, which is supported by private donations.

"She has contacted me and let me know when the van will be here and asked me if I would like Aniya to get her teeth done," says parent Theresa Cruz.

Polan is now expanding her outreach, encouraging parents to bring siblings of students to get their teeth cleaned.

"The parents, I think, have had their own experiences with the dentist when they were younger and I think they can be apprehensive about their children going through the same kind of thing," says Polan. "Once they see how much fun their children can actually have at the dentist, they are on board with it."

She also wants to raise awareness about dental health among pregnant women affiliated with the school.

"Together we are really able to have a positive impact on the community and the health of the kids who live here," says Polan.

So for helping to brighten the smiles of children, Julie Polan is our New Yorker of the week.

If you'd like to nominate someone to be NY1's New Yorker of the Week, send an email describing their qualifications to: nyer@ny1.com or mail a letter to:

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