Children’s Dental Center—Model Program for Center for Working Poor

One very early project of Sanders Construction Services was the conversion of a dental office to a children’s dental center.

Owned by Dr. Cherilyn G. Sheets, the Inglewood office was formerly her father’s and she had a dream to honor his commitment to the community by transforming the property into a public dental center serving people who typically would have no access to dental care.

Dr. Sheets approached Pat Sanders with an ambitious plan, a great deal of enthusiasm, and a grant for $100,000—not nearly enough to cover the $500,000 cost of a complete structural renovation of the building—which entailed gutting the center, resupporting the roof and performing a seismic upgrade.

Swept up by her passion for the project, Pat began the renovation on a simple handshake—gutting the building, and getting the roof and flooring materials donated to decrease the cost.

Dr. Sheet’s enthusiasm caught hold and she raised the money. Everyone got paid and The Children’s Dental Center became a prototype modeled across the country.

The project then expanded.

Dr. Sheet’s family home across the street became “The Shannon Kelly Toothfairy Cottage”—housing administrative office for the Children’s Dental Center and oral health education programs for ages five through thirteen, where early invention will have the great long-term impact with regard to oral hygiene, nutrition and tobacco avoidance.