The Children’s Dental Health Clinic (CDHC) is a non-profit pediatric dental clinic with a nearly 100-year history of providing specialized oral health care services, support and training.
We are the safety-net oral health care provider for low-income children and young adults ages 0-21 from Greater Long Beach and South Los Angeles County. We also support the unique needs of children who are disabled or medically-compromised, and we are an accredited training facility for multiple dental specialties.
We serve approximately 5,500 patients and families each year at our main clinic in Long Beach on the Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital campus and in our school-based, satellite clinic in Avalon on Catalina Island.
Our Mission is to deliver oral health education and comprehensive treatment for economically disadvantaged children, including those with complex medical considerations, while also providing premier training in pediatric and multi-specialty dentistry.
Our Vision is to see that all children grow up with healthy, confident smiles.
Jump to: Our Team | Clinical Residents | Board of Directors | Our History
WHAT WE DO
We provide comprehensive oral health care services for children and young adults, including:
- General and Pediatric Dentistry
- Early Intervention and Oral Hygiene Education
- Orthodontia, Endodontics and Periodontics
- Oral Surgery
- Treatment with intravenous sedation
- Treatment under general anesthesia in the operating rooms at Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital
Hands-on Training
As an accredited training facility for multiple dental specialties, we provide hands-on experience through a Clinical Residency program for pediatric dentists and oral surgeons in partnership with USC’s Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry and Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital at MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center. We also serve as a clinical training site for students in the Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting programs at Cerritos College and West Coast University, as well as an internship site for California State University, Long Beach’s Health Administration Department.
Advocacy
We advocate for a more effective and expansive social safety net, and our team members have served in leadership roles with the prominent industry groups like the California Dental Association (CDA), California Dental Hygienist’s Association (CDHA), American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), and Oral Health Long Beach.
Our former Executive Director and current Board President, John Blake, DDS, is a staunch advocate for improvements to structural inequalities contributing to inequitable oral health outcomes of children at the local and state levels. As the Immediate Past President of the California Dental Association, his work has contributed to significant improvements in Medi-Cal Dental/Denti-Cal through California’s Medicaid program, which provides coverage for half of the children in California and more than 90% of our patients.
WHO WE ARE
Our team is made up of more than 50 dedicated clinicians, administrators, residents, and trainees who are passionate about providing quality and comprehensive oral health care to our community. We celebrate our dedicated team and their years of service, many with a longstanding legacy of helping us change lives – one smile at a time!
We’ve acknowledge each team member’s years of service by noting the year they joined: [YEAR]
Dental Treatment
- Alma Ariciaga, Registered Dental Assistant [2016]
- Dr. Mackenzie Martin, DDS, MPH, Executive Director / Dental Director [2024]*
- Dr. Carmen Castillo, DDS, General Dentist [1990]
- Dr. Michelle Comroe, DDS, General Dentist [2019]
- Pam Davis-Washington, Registered Dental Assistant [1981]
- Jacsiri Gabino, Registered Dental Assistant [2002]
- Dr. Bhavin Ghandi, DDS, General Dentist [1990]
- Dr. Curtis Kam, DDS, General Dentist [1990]
- Dr. Khoa Le, DMD, Pediatric Residency Director [2021]
- Dr. David Lee, DDS, General Dentist [2000]
- Dr. Eleanor Lin, DDS, General Dentist [2007]
- Dr. Jonathan Lo, DDS, Pediatric Dentist [2006]
- Melissa Mittwer, Registered Dental Assistant [2017]
- Maria Negrete-Bleazard, Registered Dental Assistant [1988]
- Dr. Hanh Nguyen, DDS, General Dentist [1995]
- Jean Petrillo, Registered Dental Hygienist [2005]
- Elizabeth Ramos-Bush, Registered Dental Assistant [1996]
- Dr. Jill Shang, DDS, Pediatric Dentist [2010]
- Evelyn Trujillo, Sterilization Tech [2008]
- Dr. Alex Tu, DDS, Pediatric Dentist [2005]
- Elizabeth Valdivia, Registered Dental Hygienist – AP [2011]
- Antonia Valencia, Registered Dental Assistant [2000]
- Dr. Lowry Wong, DDS, General Dentist [1995]
*Began volunteering with CDHC in 2002
Orthodontics
- Ruby Araujo, Orthodontic Office Manager [2000]
- Dr. Christine Chung, DMD, MS, Orthodontist [2015]
- Delita Fleming, Registered Dental Assistant [2014]
- Veronica Mejia, Registered Dental Assistant [2007]
- Iliana Ortiz, Registered Dental Assistant [2002]
- Raul Salcedo, Registered Dental Assistant [2018]
Early Intervention & Outreach
- Iveth Barajas Diaz, Patient Care Coordinator [2022]
- Jean Petrillo, RDH, Early Intervention and Outreach Manager [2005]
- Elizabeth Valdivia, Registered Dental Hygienist – AP [2011]
Front Office
- Francisca Cardenas, Patient Care Coordinator [2002]
- Paola Cardenas, Billing and O.R. Coordinator [2000]
- Cinthia Ibarra, Receptionist [2018]
- Belbett Martinez, Treatment Coordinator [2011]
- Daisy Perez, Front Office Assistant [2019]
- Victoria Sandoval, Specialized Services Coordinator [2002]
Administration
- Dr. Mackenzie Martin, DDS, MPH, Executive Director / Dental Director [2024]*
- Mark Culbertson, CPA, Chief Financial Officer [2011]
- Liz Reinhardt, Director of Advancement [2025]
- Pam Davis-Washington, RDA, Clinical Operations Manager [1981]
- Tiffany Huynh, Accounts Coordinator [2010]
*Began volunteering with CDHC in 2002
USC Clinical Residents
- Dr. Khoa Le, DMD, Pediatric Dental Residency Program Director [2021]
- Dr. Logan Okawachi, DDS, Pediatric Dental Resident [2025]
- Dr. Maile Osborne, DDS, Pediatric Dental Resident [2025]
- Dr. Jonathan Plascencia, DDS, Pediatric Dental Resident [2025]
- Dr. Kaitlyn Savage, DDS, Pediatric Dental Resident [2025]
Board of Directors
John Blake, DDS
Board President
General Dentist, Retired, and Former CDHC Executive Director
Jonathan Lo, DDS
Vice President
Pediatric Dentist
George Egbert, MBT
Treasurer
Tax Consultant
Alex Tu, DDS
Secretary
Pediatric Dentist
The original mobile clinic, 1932
The current clinic in the Buffum Pavilion on the Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital campus in Long Beach
OUR HISTORY
The Children’s Dental Health Clinic was established in 1932 by Dr. Robert E. Anderson, the Dental Examiner for Long Beach Public Schools, who witnessed the alarming prevalence of dental disease in our community’s school children. With the idea that dental care could be brought to children in school, Dr. Anderson secured a trailer and converted it into a dental clinic. The dream of providing convenient dental screenings and care to young students began with this small mobile clinic, making its way from school to school and building healthy smiles for healthier communities with early support from organizations like the Junior League of Long Beach and the Harbor Dental Society.
In 1970, the Clinic moved into leased space on the campus of Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital at Long Beach Medical Center, joining other independent non-profit children’s health providers and fulfilling Loraine Huntington Miller’s vision of treating the whole child. In 1988, we founded our satellite clinic on Catalina Island in partnership with the Long Beach Unified School District to help serve the young residents in Avalon. In 2012, we hosted the Grand Opening for our new school-based clinic, which was made possible by our Avalon Angel, Patty Ann McKinnon.
Our school-based, satellite clinic on Catalina Island
More than 90 years since our inception, and with the support of our community partners and supporters, we continue to serve the same purpose in our community. Our clinics have been the dental home to more than half a million children since our inception – including Beverly O’Neill, former Mayor of the City of Long Beach, the city’s only three-term citywide elected mayor, and lifelong advocate for the CDHC.
We remain steadfast in our belief that every child deserves access to quality and comprehensive oral health care regardless of their background, socioeconomic status or geography.