About Us
We believe dental health isn’t optional. It’s vital.
The San Gabriel Valley Foundation for Dental Health is a non-profit organization providing free or affordable dental care in our La Puente clinic to children ages 0 to 19 and some adults who come from economically disadvantaged families. We also engage in outreach and education to children and their families in the wider community.
Visit Our Clinic!
Watch the video below to get a glimpse inside our clinic.
Our Mission
We have a bold and exciting vision for bringing quality health care to our community, upheld by four key tenets.
Care
Provide quality preventive and restorative dental care to financially disadvantaged children, ages 0 to 19, and some adults and create a dental home for our patients.
Educate
Offer a comprehensive patient/family education program, with a strong emphasis on preventive dentistry that is designed to minimize children’s dental diseases.
Instruct
Furnish a learning environment that provides dental and dental assisting students with the knowledge of how to operate and staff a multidisciplinary pediatric care facility.
Model
Provide a model program that can be used by other communities to ensure that all children have access to a low-cost, high quality dental home in their own neighborhood.
Our Team
We have several volunteer dentists, dental hygienists, dental students and dental assisting students who treat our patients alongside our part-time staffed dentists.
Sondra Contino, Executive Director
Sondra Contino has more than twenty years of experience in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors. Mrs. Contino began her career in non-profits with the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center in 2001, where she oversaw the marketing and events to support the multi-million-dollar fundraising efforts of the organization.
Sondra began serving as Executive Director in October 2018, however, she also served as the first Executive Director of the San Gabriel Valley Foundation for Dental Health from 2007-2012, and she is thrilled to be back with the San Gabriel Valley Foundation for Dental Health!
Clinic Manager/Chairside Assist/Outreach
Yvette is a highly experienced professional in the dental industry, with 6+ years of expertise. She became a valued member of our team recently, bringing a wealth of knowledge and proficiency in all aspects of our clinics' operations. Additionally, as a devoted mother of three, she deeply understands the significance of family values and prioritizes health at every stage of life. Yvette contributes to promoting oral health and well-being for all.
James Bell, DMD, Dentist
Dr. Bell joined our team in early 2021. He is a family-oriented General Dentist with more than six years of community-based general dentistry experience, and skill and passion for treating children in underserved communities. Dr. Bell graduated from Western University of Health Sciences in 2014, and is also the owner of Bright Light Dental.
Dr. Chris Kim, Dentist
Carissa Flores, Clinic Receptionist/Dental Assistant
Carissa is a former student of the Dental Assisting program here at the Hacienda La Puente Adult Education campus. During the school year, she was at the top of her class and was awarded “Most Outstanding Student” of the program. After a successful year, Carissa became a member of our team in March 2023 providing patient care and assisting multiple doctors chairside. She is also currently studying for the Registered Dental Assistant exam to be more valuable in her dental career. In her free time, she enjoys being with her new pit-bull, Cupcake, and watching movies.
Board of Directors
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Andrew Alexander
Business Banking Specialist, First Citizens Bank
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Adam Bain
Art Director, AB Game
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Sylvia Beeman, DDS
Private Practice, Sierra Madre, California
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Toni Chen, DDS
Pediatric Dentist, Private Practice, San Gabriel, California
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Brittany De La Torre, MCM
Senior Director, Corporate Relations & Partnerships, Keck School of Medicine of USC
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Kathleen C. Hwang, DDS
Orthodontist, Monrovia, California
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Charlyn Quiec, DDS
Private Practice, Monrovia, California
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Michael S. Yung, DDS
Board President, Private Practice, Pasadena, California
Our
Clinic
The clinic operates within the teaching facility of the Hacienda-La Puente Unified School District’s Adult School Dental Assisting Program. We provide preventive and restorative dental treatment to our patients in a high-tech and warm clinic setting. Our staff works hard to build relationships with each of our patients to ensure they feel comfortable before treatment begins.
Our Major Donors
The Ahmanson Foundation
California Dental Association Foundation / Schein Cares
Delta Dental Community Care Foundation
Gabriel Foundation
Good Hope Medical Foundation
Kaiser Permanente
National Children’s Oral Health Foundation (America’s Toothfairy)
Ralph M. Parsons Foundation
A toothbrush for every child
Many of the children we meet in our community and in our clinic don’t have their own toothbrush. It is our goal to ensure that every child has a toothbrush of their own—and so through our outreach efforts, and with the support of donors, we are able to distribute thousands of toothbrushes each year.
