CBS Channel 6 Reporter, Steve Flemisch Updates Us On Small Smiles

7-20-2009

CBS Channel 6 reporter, Steve Flemisch, in Albany NY says Small Smiles owners and staff probe continues and may face serious consequences. Small Smiles now goes under the name Albany Access Dentistry.

Read the full story here.

Albany Access Dentistry - Former Small Smiles Still Getting Medicaid Dollars

Dentists Getting State Money, Despite State Investigations

August 14, 2008 - 7:43PM

Steve Flamisch

They're under state investigation, but they're still collecting state money.

Small Smiles Dentistry, which removed all traces of its name in late May, is now known simply as a "dentist's office." New York terminated the Colonie children's dental clinic from its Medicaid program on May 24, but the two remaining dentists subsequently applied for and received their own Medicaid provider numbers, a source in state government said.

That means they are legally working on children and collecting state reimbursements, even as three state agencies investigate their alleged misconduct.

Those allegations, made by three ex-employees and 107 parents, mirror claims made against Small Smiles locations in several other cities nationwide: that dentists performed rushed and unnecessary procedures in pursuit of lucrative bonuses and Medicaid money. Your taxpayer money.

In a recent survey of 29 Small Smiles parents:

• 17 / 29 said they requested -- but were denied -- the ability to sit with their child(ren) during treatment

• 12 / 29 said their child(ren) was/were placed under a papoose board, unable to move his/their arms and legs

• 3 / 29 said they did not consent to the use of that papoose board in advance

• 18 / 29 said the dentist placed crowns on their child(ren)'s baby teeth (as many as eight crowns in one sitting)

• 12 / 29 said their child(ren) developed complications, including bleeding, infection, and severe pain

• 6 / 29 said another dentist later told them the work done at Small Smiles was not necessary

In sometimes scathing statements, a few parents said their children were screaming in pain because the dentist did not wait for the Novocain to take effect, or skipped it altogether. Other parents described staff members placing dirty instruments back in the drawer, or in their child's mouth.

With the parents' written permission, CBS 6 mailed copies all of the questionnaires and statements to state investigators from three departments. One agency -- the State Education Department's Office of Professional Discipline -- had filed a subpoena, requesting related documents. That agency licenses the dentists.

Small Smiles corporate spokesman Don Meyer, who has called CBS 6's reporting of the allegations "a striking case of substandard journalism" full of "baseless claims," offered a generic response to the parents:

"We handle parent concerns on a case-by-case basis. Parents are encouraged to contact their child's dental center directly (464-0402) or call our 800 number. As previously stated, we take any concern seriously, and take immediate action to remedy problems if and when they occur."

Meyer promised an explanation for the name change at the Colonie clinic, but he had not offered one by Thursday night.

Stay with CBS 6 News for the latest on the state investigations.

EDITORIAL NOTE: Dr. Maziar Izadi, who retreated from a CBS 6 camera crew when approached for comment in March, is still practicing at the former Small Smiles clinic. CBS 6 is withholding the name of the other dentist because he, unlike Izadi, was not named by any parents.

Most parents said they didn't know who worked on their child(ren), because they never met the dentist. Only a dental assistant came to the waiting room to speak to them.

Mom upset with Small Smiles New Albany

Here is a case of a mother who took her child to Small Smiles New Albany in New York:

Since Small Smiles is no longer a Medicaid provider in New York one mother asked for her child’s records.

What she got were x-rays and nothing more than a spreadsheet of sorts, listing dates of visits, (every 6 months regularly), procedures, service codes for billing Medicaid, and initials of doctors who did the work.

Looking over the so called medical records (1 full year of them) a pattern clearly emerges.

The first visit, the child was give

1. Hygiene instruction: How much instruction do you think a three year old understood after all the parents are allowed back there. (was Medicaid billed for that as well or is that included in the cost of the visit?)

2. Fluoride

3. Exam

4. Cleaning

Exactly 6 months later the child returned, got the same as above with added x-rays and low and behold cavities were found because the next week the child was in for 3 filling! Three!! Wonder how they missed those on the first visit, or do you think the hygiene instruction wasn’t clear for the child to have gotten that many cavities in that short of time.

By the initials of the dentist, Dr. Laura did these fillings.

Another 6 months pass, more hygiene instruction, fluoride, exam, and cleaning and there again, they found another cavity. This time it was Dr. NL who did they work. All this doesn’t say much for Small Smiles “hygiene instruction now does it”.

Since Small Smiles tries to keep their torture clinics friendly they just use the first names of the doctors, Dr. Laura for example so this mother has no idea what the real name of the dentist actually could be.

What really concerned this particular parent is this:

1. She was told they did NOT use a papoose board on her child. She asked since her child came out very upset and said the dentist was “mean”. Yet according to this “record” behavioral management” of some type was used and it appears billed Medicaid for doing so. So they are lying to someone, either they used the papoose board and lied to the mother or they billed Medicaid for something they didn’t do.
2. She is also concerned, and rightfully so, that these records seem to be a bit incomplete to say the least! Where’s the notes taken during the exam there has to be more than a tiny spread sheet don’t you think!

This is not long ago people this is current stuff, so don’t by the sales job they are trying saying they are “improving” anything cause they aren’t improving anything.

I’m wondering if Small Smiles/Albany Access Dentistry even have this child’s original records, documents showing where this child’s mom signed consent for anything at all to be done, where is all this stuff, could be in a heap of shredded documents for all we know.

I’ve been at this for months with these people and I’m not seeing any improvement, even with the Fed’s snooping through the records across the county nothing is getting a bit better!

Full Size image here

Small Smiles New Albany Has Changed It's Name: Surprise Surprise

A month or so ago if you rang up Small Smiles in New Albany you would get the "Hello, Small Smiles" when the phone was answered. Then a couple of weeks ago that dropped to "Dental Office" we now it's "Albany Access Dentistry".

Looks like FORBA and Michael DeRose and Company have not learned any new techniques to cover their butts. Again, they just change then name, don't bother with changing the phone numbers or address, just slap a new name on the door, keep the same employees and go on about their business.

BEWARE, New York the name has changed but that's about it.

Does that word "Access" ring any bells with my readers, well it certainly rings a few of my bells.

Remember Tish Ballance in Asheville, NC who was fined 10 million dollars and was a business partner with Michael DeRose in the Smile Starters, Medicaid Dental Center and Carolina Dental Center, isn't her new state of the art clinic she's opening up in Asheville called "Access West"! Yep, I just checked, that's the name she's advertising!

Update:
Appears only a coincidence with the name "Access".  "Appears" being the operative word.  Tish went on to open Carolina West Dentistry in Waynesboro, NC under the business name of Ballancing Act.  In July 2010 she registered a business named CanHouse Sudios, it too in Waynesboro.  


Tish Ballance dose NOT live even close to Waynesboro ( or at least didn't two years ago).  She lives on the southern outskirts of Charlotte, NC about150 miles away.