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The Quadrant - Summer 2026
| A Quarterly Newsletter for the Children's Dental Health Clinic (CDHC) | |
IN THIS ISSUE:
Join us in Celebrating Oral Health Month
Resident Spotlight - Dr. Kaitie Savage
Future Pediatric Dentist Gains Experience in Public Health
Support Us When You Shop at Ralphs or Food 4 Less
The Clinic's Mid-Year Closure
Hands-on Training In Action
Celebrating Our Team
Fun Around the Clinic
| | Join us in Celebrating Oral Health Month | | |
Families are constantly referred to us for our Multi-Specialty and Early Intervention programs, whether it’s by a dentist who doesn’t serve the Medi-Cal population or a clinic that doesn’t specialize in helping children with disabilities or medical complexities.
We are proud to be a beacon of hope for these families - providing both treatment and oral health education - but being one of very few options also comes with challenges. Thankfully, we have many partners in care who make this possible, including generous people like you!
Click here to learn more about what we’re doing to help more families, what other challenges we’re facing AND how you can help us continue to provide care to the families who need us most in honor of Oral Health Month.
| You can also see some of the ways we’ve celebrated Oral Health Month on social media throughout the month when you visit Facebook, Instagram and/or LinkedIn! | | Resident Spotlight - Dr. Kaitie Savage | | |
What inspired you to go into pediatric dentistry?
I have been passionate about pediatric dentistry from an early age. Growing up, going to the dentist was always exciting and fun for me. The office felt welcoming, and the staff quickly became familiar faces who made me feel comfortable and cared for. That sense of belonging played a major role in inspiring me to become a pediatric dentist. I hope to create that same positive environment for my own patients so they can grow up with happy dental experiences as well. I especially enjoy working with children with special needs and find it incredibly rewarding to build meaningful connections with them.
Tell us a favorite memory you have from working at the clinic.
One of my favorite memories from working at the clinic involved a young patient who experienced significant dental trauma after falling and hitting his face on concrete. Several of his front teeth were severely damaged, and one tooth had even been knocked out. After multiple procedures, the family was so relieved and grateful for the outcome. They had been deeply worried that his smile would be permanently affected. Seeing their happiness and knowing I was able to make a positive difference during such a stressful time was incredibly meaningful to me.
Click here to continue reading and learn more about Dr. Kaitie, including who brings so much joy and energy to her life, and click here to learn more about all of our 2025-2026 Pediatric Dental Residents!
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We also celebrated and said goodbye to our USC Pediatric Dental Residents this week as they prepare to complete their two-year journey in the program.
We will certainly miss seeing Dr. Maile, Dr. Kaitie, Dr. Logan and Dr. Jonathan every day.... We know they’re going to continue doing great things for the kids who need their well-honed skills, just like those who came before them, and we look forward to introducing you to our new class of residents soon!
| | | Future Pediatric Dentist Gains Experience in Public Health | | |
Please join us in welcoming Alisella (Ali) Hernandez - our college intern this summer! Ali wants to be a pediatric dentist, and she had an amazing role model.. growing up, she received incredible care from our friend and longtime supporter, Dr. Santos Cortez, and that experience inspired her career journey. She was also lucky enough to spend last summer as an intern in his practice, Pediatric Dental Specialists, in Long Beach!
Born and raised in LA, Ali attended high school at Harbor Teacher Preparation Academy on the LA Harbor College campus, earning her AA degree as part of their dual-enrollment program. She is now a pre-dental student at Middlebury College in Vermont, where she is double majoring in Molecular Biology/Biochemistry and Psychology.
This summer, she is gaining valuable experience in public health as she researches oral health data and develops oral health-related communications. She is also getting exposure to a multitude of specialties as she shadows our clinical team. These experiences will serve her well when she returns to school for her junior year this fall. She will be conducting research on what causes cavities and gum disease at the bacterial and molecular level!
A first-generation college student working toward becoming the first doctor in her family, she hopes to one day give back to families from under-resourced communities, and her passion for it already shows. We are proud to support her on this journey as she prepares for a future in pediatric dentistry!
| | Support Us When You Shop at Ralphs or Food 4 Less | | |
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Did you know you can support us when you shop at Ralphs or Food 4 Less? You only have to set us as your Community Rewards recipient once, and then we’ll benefit every time you shop using your rewards card!
To set it up through your online account:
Follow these steps for the mobile app:
- Click the Profile icon in top left corner
- Under “Payments & Resources,” select Community Contributions
- Enroll and Select Organization, or if you’re already enrolled, select Change Organization
- Search for “The Children’s Dental Health Clinic” and click Enroll!
Click here to see this and other ways to give on our website!
| | The Clinic's Mid-Year Closure | | |
The clinic will be closed between Monday, June 29 and Friday, July 3 to give our hard-working team a well-deserved break. We will reopen on Monday, July 6.
If you have any questions (especially if they're related to making a gift!), you can send us an email at info@cdhc.org - or simply reply to this email.
| | | Hands-on Training In Action | | |
Working with children, cleaning and connection.
Check out these snippets from a recent end-of-day reflection with the Cerritos College Dental Hygiene students, faculty and our own Jean Petrillo, RDH - who oversees the dental hygiene training experiences in our clinic - and hear insights from Jean and Jeannette Diaz-Olivera DHSc, MPH, RDHAP.
We’re proud to provide this practical experience - working with children and young adults - as these students continue their journey toward becoming dental professionals. It also goes to show just how valuable this hands-on experience is.. just as multifaceted as the real world they’re about to enter AND they help us provide healthier, more confident smiles thanks to this wonderful training partnership!
See this on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn
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We received a delightful note from our friends at West Coast University recently. As part of their efforts to recognize community impact and the philanthropic spirit of their team, they celebrate those with highest number of volunteer hours each year, and these individuals get to choose an organization to receive a donation.
Professor April Turner received top honors (again!) and chose us as the recipient of WCU’s generous donation for the second year in a row! As you can see, we asked her to share a little bit about why she chose us for this donation.
We are so grateful to have such amazing training partners. They always bring smiles to OUR faces as we work together to provide hands-on experiences for the next generation of dental professionals, and at the same time, help us give our young patients healthier, more confident smiles!
See this on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn
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We celebrated Administrative Professionals Day by showing our appreciation to our front office team for all they do to help our patients and families - handling so many details for all of our programs.
We even managed to get most of them away from doing that for a quick second to take this photo. We appreciate ALL of you and all that you do!
See this on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn
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We also celebrated Accounts Receivable Appreciation Day, which means it was Tiffany’s turn to be celebrated for all she does to juggle so many accounting-related details - and always with a smile!
Since she’s camera shy, we had a little fun with showing off how we decorated her desk to show our appreciation. Thank you, Tiffany, for all you’ve done and continue to do!
See this on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn
| | You can see more stories like this and exclusive content when you follow us on social media! | You can learn more about the Children’s Dental Health Clinic (CDHC) and how you can join us in making a difference for the children and families in our community at cdhc.org. |
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Need to update your email address?
If you would like to update the preferred email address we use to communicate with you, please let us know by contacting Liz Reinhardt, Director of Advancement, at lreinhardt@cdhc.org or (562) 933-0602. Thank you!
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