WHAT WE DO

The Children’s Dental Health Clinic is a non-profit comprehensive dental home and teaching program housed on the campus of the Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital with a Long Beach Unified School District school-based clinic on Santa Catalina Island. We are the safety-net oral health provider for underserved and medically compromised children and young adults (aged 0-21) and serve approximately 5,500 patients each year.

We provide quality, comprehensive oral health services that include General and Pediatric Dentistry, Oral Hygiene Education, an Early Intervention Program, Orthodontia, Endodontics, Periodontics, Oral Surgery, treatment with intravenous sedation, and treatment under general anesthesia in the operating rooms of the Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital.

We are an accredited premier training facility for multi-dental specialties. In partnership with the University of Southern California (USC) we provide resident training for Pediatric Dentists and Oral Surgeons. In partnership with Cerritos College and West Coast University we serve as a training site for Registered Dental Hygienists and Registered Dental Assistants.

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, the California Dental Hygienist’s Association, the Dental Board of California.

Our Executive Director, 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. Immediate Past President of the California Dental Association, his work has contributed to significant improvements in Denti-Cal, the State of California’s Medicaid dental program, which provides coverage for half of California’s children and over 90% of our patients.

In addition to our extensive dental services, we also recognize the importance of addressing systemic health issues that can impact oral health. For example, conditions like hypertension, often managed with medications such as Norvasc, can have side effects on oral health, including gum sensitivity and dry mouth. Our team is trained to consider these factors during patient evaluations, ensuring a holistic approach to treatment. By collaborating with medical professionals, we aim to integrate oral care with overall health management. This commitment not only enhances the effectiveness of our treatments but also improves the long-term well-being of our patients.

Front Office

• Francisca Cardenas, Patient Care Coordinator, 22 years of service
• Paola Cardenas, Billing and O.R. Coordinator, 24 years of service
• Cinthia Ibarra, Receptionist, 6 years of service
• Belbett Martinez, Treatment Coordinator, 13 years of service
• Daisy Perez, Front Office Assistant, 5 years of service
• Victoria Sandoval, Specialized Services Coordinator, 22 years of service

Administration

• Dr. John Blake, DDS, Executive Director & Dental Director, 21 years of service
• Dr. Karen Byrnes, PhD, Fundraising Counsel, 2 years of service
• Mark Culbertson, CPA, Chief Financial Officer, 13 years of service
• Pam Davis-Washington, Clinical Operations Manager, 43 years of service
• Tiffany Huynh, Accounts Coordinator, 14 years of service
• Alexa Cabrera, Director of Administration and Human Resources, <1 year of service
• Amairani Padilla, Advancement Associate, 5 years of service

USC Residents

• Dr. Chris Y. Mayeda, DDS, Pediatric Dental Residency Program Director, 8 years of service
• Dr. Simrun Sandhu, DDS, 1 year pediatric dental residency
• Dr. Hailey Yoo, DDS, 1 year pediatric dental residency
• Dr. Hayley Botwin, DDS, 1 year pediatric dental residency
• Dr. Grace Kim, DDS, 1 year pediatric dental residency

OUR HISTORY

The Children’s Dental Health Clinic was established in 1932 by Dr. Robert E. Anderson, Dental Inspector for the city of Long Beach school system, 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 Long Beach schools, Dr. Anderson secured a trailer and converted it into a dental clinic. With early support from organizations like the Junior League of Long Beach and the Harbor Dental Society, 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 healthy communities. In 1970, the Clinic moved into leased space on the campus of the Miller Children’s Hospital at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, joining other independent non-profit children’s health providers under the vision of Loraine Huntington Miller of treating the “whole child.”

90 years since our inception, and with the support of hundreds of individuals and organizations, we continue to exist and 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.

Today 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.

We remain steadfast in our belief that every child deserves access to quality and comprehensive oral health care irrespective of demographics, household financial status, or geography.