The Quadrant - Spring 2026

IN THIS ISSUE:

Re-launching Our Annual Open House

A New Way to Support Us

You Can Help Save Our Dental Care

LA2050 Wants to Know What Issues Matter Most to YOU!

Resident Spotlight - Dr. Maile Osborne 

Team Spotlight - Inspired by a Childhood Dental Experience

Celebrating Our Team

Hands-on Training In Action

The clinic was filled with so much love, appreciation and some very special guests on Sunday, February 22 as we officially re-launched our annual Open House & Community Appreciation Reception! Sponsored by Farmers & Merchants Bank and Port of Long Beach, we welcomed partners, supporters and friends to celebrate Children’s Dental Health Month, while looking back at what we’ve accomplished and ahead to the future.

We were delighted to have members of our founder’s family in attendance, including his daughter, Ruth Anderson Weaver! They joined more than 50 others at our heart-warming celebration, including dedicated board members and staff, current and former USC Pediatric Residents, training partners, members of Children’s Benefit League and Porsche Club of America - Grand Prix Region, and other cherished members of our community.

Whether you were able to attend or not, your presence was felt as we shared the love for all we do TOGETHER. Thank you to everyone who plays a part in our clinic magic... we truly couldn’t do what we do without you!

Click here to read more about the event.

Click below to watch Dr. Mackenzie’s "State of the Clinic" Remarks:

We alluded to a few things that were coming when we re-launched our Open House, and here’s the first one - a new way to support us through a new Wish List! While financial contributions are the most helpful way to support us, we know that some people like to supply us with things we need, so this Wish List will make it easy for you to do just that.

Set up as a Gift Registry through Amazon, you can see what we need, place an order and have the items sent directly to us. If you’d like a formal donation acknowledgement, don’t forget to include a gift receipt with your name and contact info!

The list will be updated every so often, and we added new details about supply donations to our website too. For example, if you’d prefer to purchase these items elsewhere and drop them off to us, please contact our Director of Advancement, Liz Reinhardt, to make arrangements. She’ll also share where to easily drive up and deliver the items directly to her, since her office is in the back of the clinic by the Imaging Center! If you have any questions about these donations or the process, you can contact her as well at (562) 933-0602 or lreinhardt@cdhc.org.

We need your help to save dental care for the thousands of families we serve each year! Proposed cuts to Medi-Cal Dental will have a devastating effect on access to dental care for our state’s most vulnerable residents.

These cuts - currently set for July 1 - are disproportionate to cuts for other medical services, and they would have a HUGE impact on the children and families we serve... but you can make your voice heard!

Please take a minute to tell your representatives why protecting our oral health matters. The Save Our Dental Care Coalition has made it easy to TAKE ACTION through this website: saveourdentalcare.org

You can also learn more about the impact of proposed cuts on providers, emergency services and more when you visit the website - with tremendous thanks to the California Dental Association for playing a lead role in this vital advocacy!

You can help us get one step closer to securing funding to help more kids when you vote in the LA2050 Grants Challenge before April 22!

It only takes take two minutes to vote for the issues you care about most when you click here - and here’s what would help us the most: 

• LIVE: Health Care Access

• CONNECT: Disability Access

• PLAY: Prevention of Childhood Trauma

Voting is open now through next Wednesday, April 22, but why wait.. 

What inspired you to go into pediatric dentistry?

After dental school, I worked at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) as a general dentist and had the opportunity to treat many pediatric patients. Through my time working with children, I became passionate about the behavioral side of dentistry and empowering our little friends to become less fearful at the dentist. In particular, I enjoy working with patients with special healthcare needs and pursued a pediatric dental residency to be able to comprehensively and safely treat medically complex patients.

What’s a favorite memory you have from working at the Clinic?

A favorite memory I have working at the clinic was when I was able to help one of my nervous patients successfully complete an exam. I remember how she came in with her family for an emergency visit because of pain and had a history of dental anxiety. At first, she did not want to open her mouth or sit in the dental chair, but after taking the time to chat with her and slowly desensitize her to the new objects in the room, she warmed up. She started showing me her teeth and expressing her fun personality.

It is always so gratifying to be able to help our patients come out of their shells and become comfortable at the dentist. The warm team here at CDHC plays a big role in our clinic’s success and helping provide a welcoming environment for our patients. I am truly grateful for all the wonderful support from our faculty and staff!

Click here to continue reading and learn more about Dr. Maile, including what sport she played in college! You can also see her working in the clinic when you watch the Miller Moment video we posted to kick-off Children’s Dental Health Month:

We featured this team member spotlight on social media during Children’s Dental Health Month - the first in another new series - and we wanted to share it here with you too:

Our own Antonia Valencia, RDA, was inspired to become a dental assistant as a child. At the time, her family had Medi-Cal Dental benefits, and when she went to the dentist, she noticed that everyone seemed to really enjoy what they were doing.

After attending the Dental Assisting Program at Cerritos College and interning with former USC Pediatric Dental Resident Dr. Scott Fishman of Pediatric Dental Arts, she began looking for an experience like the one that inspired her career path.

The team at Cerritos College suggested she apply to CDHC, so she did. With a little patience and a glowing review from Dr. Fishman, Toni joined our team in 2000. Now a mom to two young kids, she hopes to inspire other kids like she once was, and she is glad she can bring her own kids to a place where everyone enjoys what they do too!

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We celebrated Dental Assistant Week in early March to thank our amazing dental assistants and all they do to keep everything running smoothly. 

Not all of our dental assistants are pictured here, but they were all showered with love, appreciation and lots of treats!

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We’re celebrating Dental Hygienist Week this week to show our appreciation to Jean and Liz, as well as all the dental hygiene student clinicians who help us create healthy, confident smiles. 

Dental hygiene faculty at Cerritos College and West Coast University: We appreciate and celebrate you too!

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Some dental hygiene students from Cerritos College joined us in asking and answering oral care questions, sharing information and seeing some SUPER CUTE kids for dental screenings at the Early Learning & Kindergarten Festival in March.

All in all, it made for a great Saturday morning with our friends in the Long Beach community!

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We took another trip to our Avalon Clinic with dental hygiene students and faculty from West Coast University earlier this month.

This trip included seeing patients in the clinic and visiting the students in the classroom too - which is only a short walk, since our satellite clinic is on the campus of the Avalon K-12 School!

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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.