It took the Colorado Dental Board until June 2009 to finally order Michael A. DeRose ‘retire’ his license to practice dentistry and tell him he is never to apply for a new license anytime in the future.
In the Order from the board it cites the two disciplinary actions taken against DeRose in North Carolina. In December 2005 his license was suspended for 180 days for doing more than 6 pulpotomies in one visit on children at his Medicaid Dental Centers, now called Smile Starters in North Carolina.
I’m thinking 6 is still outrageous! Think you could have 6 teeth worked on in one session? How about being tied down, and given 6 root canals??!! The level of lidocaine alone to keep a patient pain free seems to me would be at a dangerous level. But they don’t worry about that, since they could care less if they even have a supply of lidocaine on hand it appears.
Then in April 2007 settled with the government for $10 million with Dr. Tish Ballance, and still every state where he was licensed let him keep his licenses.
Michael’s dad, Dr. Eddie let his licenses just expire.
William Mueller, one of the original cast of characters was forced to ‘surrender’ his licenses, but not until 2009!
Over the years these three had ‘actions’ taken against them on a few occasions in more than one state, but only the latest is currently on file at DORA, Colorado’s records search.
Some of the documents mention referring problems to the state Attorney General’s office for further review. But I can’t find one time any of them were ever seriously considered for prosecution.
The laws in Colorado were changed at least twice to curtail these guys from abusing children for profit, but the Dental Board never revoked their licenses as they should have. They allowed Dr. Michael DeRose continue with this abuse from 1982 until 2009! That’s 27 years!!!!!!
Now look where we are.
Had the Colorado Dental Board done their job, there would be no Small Smiles, Kool Smiles or Adventure Dental out there tying up children and drilling out perfectly good teeth, causing horrific trauma to small children, devastating the trust children have in their parents and adults and scamming Medicaid (you tax dollars) out of 100’s of millions of dollars.
Somehow through all of this the uncle, Dr. Adolph Ralph Padula came away unscathed. His license is as pure as the white driven snow.
Dr. William Mueller (UPIN# 64458) was finally locked out of the medicaid program March 18, 2010.
