To improve the oral health of children in Orange County through collaborative programs directed at:

★ Prevention

★ Education

★ Access to Treatment

★ Advocacy

Our History...

Healthy Smiles For Kids of Orange County began with the shared belief, "It's all about the kids!"

In 2001, The Children's Dental Center in Inglewood hosted students from Oak View Elementary School in Huntington Beach for a day of "tooth-friendly" education. The field trip, far from the homes of these 80 or so youngsters, was prompted by school nurse Carol Kanode. Soon after, through the urging of Nurse Kanode, El Viento Co-Founder and Vice Chairman John C. "Jack" Shaw began working endlessly to bring accessible oral health care services to underserved children in Orange County.

As a result, Healthy Smiles For Kids of Orange County was founded in 2003 as a funded program of the Children & Families Commission of Orange County. Mr. Shaw was recruited as Chairman of the Board along with Co-Founder Ms. Dottie Andrews, who consulted and developed the program's visionary and innovative agenda. A dedicated Board of Directors came together soon after and in June 2003, Healthy Smiles received its official independent non-profit status.

By September 2003, Rocio Nunez-Magdaleno was brought on board to serve as Director of Program Development and help launch the pilot program at the Health Care Agency in Santa Ana. Though small in size, the one-chair dental operatory's impact was monumental: It became the first and only facility in Orange County offering nitrous oxide services for uninsured children. The following December, the Healthy Smiles team grew even stronger under the guidance of Sandra Bolton who enthusiastically joined as Executive Director.

A collaboration took place between the Children & Families Commission of Orange County, Healthy Smiles, Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove to develop a comprehensive pediatric health and dental center. In early 2004, the partnership broke ground on the construction of a 14,000 square foot building in Garden Grove committed to families in need with an all-embracing and dignified approach for the wellbeing of their children. 

Meanwhile, Healthy Smiles continued in support to improve the dental condition of children in Orange County where one out of every three children suffers from untreated dental decay - a rate higher than California's statewide average! To make a direct and positive impact in local communities, Healthy Smiles strategized on utilizing its outreach program to deliver a strong and necessary message that "Oral Health Matters" while on the go. From taking visual oral dental screenings known as "Smile Days" into the preschool classroom setting to being active in collaborative health resource fairs throughout the county, Healthy Smiles has, and continues to relay the vital importance of routine dental care all while "in the field."

In September 2005, the highly anticipated Garden Grove Children's Health & Dental Center opened to great fanfare! The state-of-the-art, two-story facility houses Healthy Smiles' Smile Center dental clinic, Access to Resources for Children's Health, Education & Support (ARCHES), and the CHOC Garden Grove Clinic. The culmination of various resources and services sheltered under one roof marks the result of incredible relationships built between funders, providers and volunteers sharing a common passion to assist children who are disadvantaged. 

In 2006, Healthy Smiles teamed with CHOC and the University of Southern California (USC) to form an extension of the Advanced Pediatric Dental Residency Program in Orange County. Through this alliance, Healthy Smiles now plays a premier countywide role in filling the gaps of pediatric and special needs dental coverage accessibility.

Healthy Smiles remains dedicated as ever towards eradicating tooth decay! In the Smile Center's Tooth Fairy Learning Center, first-time patients with a little case of the jitters are eased with engaging science, nutritional and oral health-related lessons, crafts and activities. Through a generous donation from Pacific Life in 2008, Healthy Smiles received the gift of the "Smile Mobile," a full-range mobile two-chair dental operatory capable of reaching children right in their very own neighborhoods.

Late in 2009, Healthy Smiles excitedly welcomed the leadership and expertise of Liz Bear to serve as Chief Executive Officer. Working together under the vision of the Board of Directors, dedication of clinical and administrative staff and the selflessness of motivated volunteers, Healthy Smiles For Kids of Orange County continues to push forward towards a future with beautiful, healthy, young smiles...cavity free!

From a simple field trip that inspired a movement to realize pediatric oral health care needs for Orange County's youth, Mr. Shaw, Nurse Kanode and the bright minds of Oak View Elementary School deserve great recognition in instilling the importance that "Oral Health Matters!"