Kool Smiles to Bring PBS KIDS' Award-Winning Content to Dental Patients -- ATLANTA, Jan. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

 

Kool Smiles to Bring PBS KIDS' Award-Winning Content to Dental Patients -- ATLANTA, Jan. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

I find this hilarious! 

Ok, kids, now is your chance to tell the world what happens to you behind those doors at Kool Smiles Dental and why they ever needed “quiet” hygiene rooms!

Kool Smiles Playlist:

I think Kool Smiles Dental press releases about “new jobs” is very misleading

Over the past several days Kool Smiles Dental (NCDR, LLC) has published press releases about their expansion, growth and plans to hire from 80 to 100 jobs in various states. i.e. South Carolina to get 100 new jobs, Virginia blessed with 100, Indiana 88 new jobs.
Using buzz words and phrases such as “expansion”, “bright economic outlook” “provide jobs” leaves the reader feeling warm and fuzzy about Kool Smiles doesn’t it?  Heck they are providing dental treatment for underprivileged children and children whose parents have fallen on hard times due to the poor economy and bleak job outlook.  As the cherry on top they state they are providing jobs for states and local communities. 
FANTASTIC!
Shoot, they even have lawmakers commenting about the fabulous news:

Is this Kool Smiles way of pretending they are paying back the millions defrauded or trying to head off some bad publicity in the works?

Can you consider  “patient shopping” a donated service?  Here is their Press Release for today:

Kool Smiles Donates $12.5 Million in Dental Services to Underserved Communities and Launches Facebook Campaign to Donate a Toothbrush for Every "Like"

ATLANTA, Nov 4, 2011  Kool Smiles is proud to announce that so far this year it has donated over $12.5 million in free dental services to underserved communities. In celebration, they are launching a new Facebook page. In addition to keeping the community engaged in its vision and efforts to increase accessible dental health nationwide, the page allows individuals to have an impact on the wellbeing of children in need. For every "Like" the Kool Smiles Facebook page receives, a toothbrush will be donated to an underserved child.

Quality dental care at a young age plays an important role in both the physical and psychological well-being of children and adults. Now, Kool Smiles is empowering every person who "likes" its efforts by donating a free toothbrush and is prepared to provide up to a million toothbrushes for a million healthy smiles.

Central KY Commercial Real Estate Blog: NAI Isaac Brings Kool Smiles Dentistry to Elizabethtown, KY

Central KY Commercial Real Estate Blog: NAI Isaac Brings Kool Smiles Dentistry to Elizabethtown, KY

WARNING to Elizabethtown, Kentucky residents; it looks like you are about to become the unwitting prey of a Kool Smiles dental center. 

Danger to your children awaits.  Remember the dental mill mantra “Patients may be hard to increase, but billable procedures are not!”  Creative dentistry at its best.

I feel Kool Smiles operates illegally in Kentucky under the statues of a Professional Service Corporation (PSC) where by the person owning and directing the “professional service” must be licensed by the “professional” board of the state, in this case the Kentucky Board of Dentistry and the person MUST perform those services. KRS 313.060 (3) no person shall conduct dental practice in their name unless he or she personally performs services as a dentist is such office.  Not less then 1/2 of the officers of a PSC and ALL of the officers other than the secretary and the treasurer shall be qualified persons to perform the professional services. See KRS 274.027 and 274.045 

Why the KY Dental Board ignores its own laws, rules and regulations is beyond me. 

 

See many more Kool Smiles reports by clicking here.

 

Check the Senators Cardin’s campaign contributions!

Yes, average wait time is 7 minutes!  Yes, 100% approval rating.  Since the asked two people, whom they probably paid!!! 

Senator, you may be a fine man, you may be a smart man.  But no one would know by listening to what you are saying today.

What are you going to say when this company ends up under Federal investigation like Small Smiles?  Will you tell us how great the place is then?  Did you even check to see if they were being investigated before stepping up to that podium? 

Since you want to take credit for this house of horrors, are you going to take the blame as well? 

Maybe we should send all the complaints to your office!!

See: Hey Senator Ben Cardin

Hey Senator Ben Cardin–WAKE UP!

•  

Senator Cardin’s boastful public statement from August 18, 2011. 

Maryland Ranks First In Providing Child Dental Care
Armando Trull

August 18, 2011 - Four years ago, 12-year-old Diamonte Driver from Prince George's County died from a brain infection created by an abscessed tooth because his mother was unable to get him adequate dental care. This death spurred Maryland to address this inadequacy, and now, things in the state are vastly different.

Maryland was ranked first in providing dental care for children in a recent Pew Center study.

Mechanicsville, Virginia Kool Smiles still receiving complaints about lies, fraud, root canals, and stainless steel crowns; It’s 2011 folks! Is anyone listening to the people? Apparently not!!!!

I took this pictures in the summer of 2008, 6 months after I began hearing of these dental mills abusing children.

This is the Kool Smiles in Mechanicsville, VA.  Located in a strip mall on Mechanicsville Pike.

Appears they are still using the same ole tactics; make mom feel guilty.  This disgusting!!!

 

 

To see all the reports on Kool Smiles click here

Kool Smiles Dental owners purchased Midwest/Mountain Dental- April 2011

Mountain Dental and Midwest Dental operated by Dr. Jeff Moos is another dental chain owned by a Private Equity firm- the same one who owns Kool Smiles-Friedman, Fleischer & Lowe, out of San Francisco!  A “Mike Lindley” is on the board of Mountain Dental.
Friedman, Fleischer & Lowe, (FFL)the private investment firm who owns and operated NCDR, LLC – Kool Smiles Dental Centers purchased Midwest Dental from Cressley & Company April 2011.
Cressley & Co, along with CIT Group were leaders in the recapitalizaition of Midwest Dental in May 2007.  Cressley purchased MWD from Svoboda.

---

Here is the story from “The Middle Market”
by Anthony Noto
April 7, 2011

San Francisco-based FFL is investing out of its 2007-vintage Friedman Fleischer & Lowe Capital Partners III fund, which targets companies with enterprise values within the $50 million to $500 million range.
Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. FFL is acquiring the Mondovi, Wisc.-based target out of Thoma Cressey Bravo Fund VIII LP.
Chicago-based Thoma Cressey led a recapitalization of Midwest Dental in May 2007 and purchased all of its interests from Svoboda Collins LLC. Terms were not disclosed.
Calls to Aaron Money, the FFL partner leading the latest acquisition, were not returned. A spokesperson at Midwest Dental could not be reached.
FFL already owns two companies in the dental space. Portfolio companies NCDR LLC and DPMS Inc. provide facilities and support staff to dental groups operating under the Kool Smiles brand, according to the PE shop’s website. FFL acquired Atlanta-based NCDR and San Ramon, Calif.-based DRMS in 2004 and 2006 respectively.
[ NCDR, LLC and DPMS, Inc were really just Kool Smiles whether it be Kool Smiles 2 or Kool Smiles 3 or whatever.  They merged a few months back and guess what, they are still NCDR, LLC - Kool Smiles]
Purchasing Midwest Dental would not serve as an add-on to NCDR or DRMS. 
Other midmarket PE firms have capitalized on M&A within the dental space as well. On Dec. 29, Sentinel Capital Partners sold Phoenix-based ReachOut Healthcare America Ltd., a provider of dental support service and care to underprivileged children, seniors, and military personnel. Terms were not disclosed.
A month earlier, dental services company Smile Brands Group Inc., backed by Freeman Spogli & Co., found a new private equity owner in Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe. The price of that secondary buyout was not disclosed, but the Santa Ana, Calif. company said last April that it hoped to go public with an enterprise value of about $470 million.

---

Here is the story from LBO Wire

Cressey & Co. Passing Midwest Dental To Friedman Fleische Lowe
Shasha Dai
08 April 2011
Midwest Dental Holdings, a provider of management services to dental offices, may have its third private equity owner in four years if a pending sale to Friedman Fleischer & Lowe LLC proceeds as planned.
San Francisco firm Friedman Fleischer is buying the Mondovi, Wis., company from its current owner Cressey & Co., said a person familiar with the situation.
A spokesman for Friedman Fleischer declined to comment. David Schuppan, a Cressey principal; and Jim Myer, president and chief financial officer of Midwest, didn't return calls for comment.
Midwest provides management support for functions ranging from handling back-office work and marketing to finding medical assistants and dental hygienists.

Cressey's predecessor, Thoma Cressey Bravo, bought the company in 2007 from fellow buyout firm Svoboda Collins LLC for an undisclosed sum. LBO Wire reported then that Svoboda Collins saw more than three times its money, representing an internal rate of return of over 50%. Svoboda Collins acquired Midwest in 2004.
Midwest had about 450 employees, LBO Wire reported when Thoma Cressey Bravo bought the companyin 2007. More recent financial or staffing information wasn't available.

Thoma Bravo Cressey split in 2008 into two firms, Thoma Bravo and Cressey & Co., with the latter focusing on health-care investments.
Cressey & Co. closed its current fund, Cressey & Co. Fund IV LP, with $350 million in early 2010.
Reach Cressey & Co. at 312-945-5735.
http://www.cresseyco.com
The dental services provider may have its third private equity owner in four years if the sale goes through.

---

Cressey & Company
2525 West End Ave # 1175
Nashville, TN 37203-1793
(615) 369-8400

[Keystone Education and Youth Services, LLC has an office on West End Avenue in Nashville as well.  According to Bloomberg, Michael Lindley, Rodney Cawood and Tim Richter are still the top dogs over there.  They may have sold their interest to UHS, but I believe they really just did exactly what Jeff Moos did, recapitalized his income.]
Cressey & Company
233 South Wacker Dr.
Sears Tower, Ste 920
Chicago, IL  60606
312-777-4424
[Another odd factoid here, there is a Mike Lindley on the board of Mountain Dental and Midwest Dental-Mountain Dental is of the same company, but the clinics in Colorado and New Mexico are operated under the name of Mountain Dental-you can check the company filings at the Secretary of State offices in New Mexico for Mountain Dental and Secretary of State office of Iowa for Midwest Dental]

Where is Dr. Thien Chi Pham, Kool Smiles founder, now?

I was told some time ago, when Dr. Pham left Kool Smiles he landed in Arizona, guess that report was correct.  


Molar Magic Orthodontics LLC
1864 E Florence Blvd
Ste 1
Casa Grande, AZ 85222
Phone: (520) 876-5200
Fax: (480) 393-0926

Super Pages
Carecredit
Facebook

According to Molar Magic’s facebook page, they opened in August 2009.

Must be a Medicaid clinic, at least it’s not a mill, but never forget he was trained by Dr. Eddie DeRose,

“Molar Magic is a comprehensive general dentistry and orthodontic for children and young adults ages 1-20. At Molar Magic we believe oral health care can and should be fun, comfortable, and easy. Stop in anytime for a tour! Let us work our magic!”

ATTN: Former Kool Smiles Dental, Ocean Dental, Dental Dreams employees

I would really like to hear from any of you.  Please contact me at cckaddie@yahoo.com

Kool Smiles Dental Clinics (Chop Shops) - Dr. Tu Tran–King of the Hill-

In 2002 the dentist who owns this $1.2 million dollars home in the suburbs of Atlanta was merely a dentist working at a Medicaid clinic in Denver Colorado.  The clinic was owned by Dr. Edward (Eddie ) DeRose and his son Michael DeRose.

Dr. Tu Tran and his buddy Dr. Pham both worked for the DeRoses.  They learned the business model, tore out on their own and opened up their first chop shop in Atlanta in 2003. 

In 2004 they lured Friedman Fleischer and Lowe, a private equity firm in San Francisco, to hop on the gravy train and spread illegal Kool Smiles dental centers across the nation.

Send me your Kool Smiles information or documentation its time they too stop torturing children and raping the Medicaid system in their illegal clinics.

cckaddie@yahoo.com

Here is the sign off highway US41 in Terra Haute, Indiana pointing to one of the Kool Smiles Dental Centers.

I recently took this during one of my stops on my “where in the world is the next illegal dental clinic” tour which I began in April. 

I also took the time to check out the clinic and even spoke with the next door business owners, who had a lot to say.

There was a cute little shop right next door that two lovely grandmother type ladies owned.  I was in need of a wedding gift so I went in to see what they had.  After I picked out a couple of nice items, the graciously offered to gift wrap them, which gave me time to ask them about the dental clinic next door. 

Immediately the woman scowled.  I knew that she knew it was a bad bad place.  Just a few inquisitive questions got her to talking.  She told me about the horrible and terrifying screams they hear through the walls.  She told of the many times her patrons who would be shopping would look at her and gasp.  She told me there are times where customers have become extremely upset hearing the shear terror in the tiny screams coming through the walls. 

She said it was where a lot of Medicaid children went, she didn’t know I l already knew all about these folks.  This day, it was nice outside, sun shining and a slight breeze, they had their backdoor open to let the breeze flow though.

She said her and her partner had stepped out back earlier and listened at the back door of the Kool Smiles and it made them both sick.  They had called in a complaint a time or two but nothing was ever done, it’s a dentist office, that treats children, who cares if there are screams she was told.

Who cares?  I do.  Don’t you? 

If you are a former employee please contact me, send me what evidence you have, your identity is strictly confidential.  I couldn’t know all I know if I didn’t keep my informants identity a secret.  Heck, just send me some documents anonymously, that’s fine too.

cckaddie@yahoo.com

Complaint Board report on Kool Smiles–Norfolk, VA; Mother Warns Others

Kool Smiles

Posted: 2011-03-31 by 

J.M.Cap.

Poor dentist practices

Complaint Rating:

Company information:
Kool Smiles, JANAF, Norfolk VA.
Norfolk, Virginia
United States
I brought my children in for a cleaning and exam. We had a 9 am appointment and we were told they would all be seen at once. They didn't finish seeing us until 3 hours later. The television ads claim that parents are welcomed to accompany children during the exam if you wish but they tried to deny me access to my 5 year old son, TWICE. They suggested that my son have 5 silver crowns on his molars and wanted us to come back for 4 separate appointments. A week later and another 3+ hours at the over crowded dirty office, my son had silver crowns on 2 of his molars. 30 minutes after leaving, my 5 year old son began screaming in pain and continued for hours.

I gave him tylenol and motrin but he continued to be in severe pain. The dentist called him in a prescription of codine which got him through the night until about 2 am. This pain went on for days. I brought him back 5 days later, he was examined and they said that nothing appeared to be wrong but he needed to come back the next day when the dentist who did the work was there. I went back the next day and retrieved his records so we could be seen by another dentist at another facility, NOT KOOL SMILES.

The next day, I bought him to another dentist to be examined. They did a new set of x-rays and compared them to the ones taken before the dental work had been done at Kool Smiles. The new dentist said he saw NO reason for the silver crowns that were already put in and certainly no reason for any addition crowns. The tiny cavity that my son did have could have easily been fixed with a standard filling. The pain my son was feeling was probably from a nerve damage occurred during the procedure and we were told that the tooth would probably die.

Please don't subject your children to this cruel and crude dentist facility. My kids actually refer to it as Kruel Smiles now.

Kool Smiles - National Association of Community Health Centers

Kool Smiles Job Listing :

Looking for a Director to work with the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC).  Director will be 

1) co-develop dental partnerships with existing Community Health Centers (CHC)

2) maintain ongoing relationships with existing Kool Smiles CHC's

3) work on site selection and leasing of Community Health Centers.

What is National Association of Community Health Centers:

The National Association of Community Health Centers is a nonprofit organization that represents health centers -- providing advocacy, education, training, and technical assistance to health centers in support of their mission to provide quality health care to underserved populations.  You can learn more about health centers here at NACHC.com.

NACHC Membership types

Health Center Growth - help with obtaining grants to open new clinics, etc

NACHC Help With Finance

Find A Community Health Center

To find a center you go to Health Resources and Services Administration, a part of US Department of Health and Human Services:

Kool Smiles, 6065 Montana Avenue # B4, El Paso, TX 79925
Kool Smiles, 1070 St James Avenue # 4, Springfield, MA 01104
Kool Smiles, 2000 S University Avenue # K, Little Rock, AR 72204
Kool Smiles, 5504 E 22nd St # 140, Tucson, AZ 85711
Kool Smiles, 715 Crescent St # 4B, Brockton, MA 02302
Kool Smiles, 5900 E Virginia Beach Blvd #70, Norfolk, VA 23502
Kool Smiles, 1121 Broad St # 12, Sumter, SC 29150
Kool Smiles PC, 4458 Jonesboro Rd, Forest Park, GA 30297-4314
Kool Smiles, 1301 E US Highway 83, McAllen, TX 78501
Kool Smiles, 2001 NE Evangeline Trwy, Lafayette, LA 70501

Does this mean taxpayers picked up the bill to build these torture chambers through Federal Grants or some other vehicle?  Do the professionals (dentists) who work at these designated centers get a break on education costs, maybe the company, Kool Smiles (NCDR) get help with paying these same professionals?

I've not had time to look into it.  Here are some links for anyone who would like to do so.

Links:
HHS

HRSA Home

HRSA Grants

HRSA Loans and Scholarships

American Securities - It's All In The Kool Smiles

Here is one you just have to love.  This person is on Twitter.

Says he works at Kool Smiles.  Says he currently lives in Louisville, Kentucky.  See here

Why am I afraid it's the one in the middle who will put his hands in a child's mouth tomorrow!

This is what American Securities wants to give $700 million to own.

 Update:
June 30,2011

American Securities appears to have backed out of this purchase of NCDR, LLC and it's string of Kool Smiles dental centers.

Kool Smiles Said to Have Received Offer of $700 Million Clinics

Oct. 4 (Bloomberg) -- American Securities LLC, a New York- based private-equity firm, is the leading bidder for a U.S. chain of dental clinics owned by Friedman Fleischer & Lowe LLC with an offer of about $700 million, according to people with knowledge of the auction.

Friedman Fleischer owns two companies, NCDR LLC and DPMS Inc., that provide facilities and support staff to dental groups operating under the Kool Smiles brand, according to the San Francisco-based firm’s website. TPG Capital also submitted an offer in the final round of bidding, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the deal hasn’t been completed.

The two companies are not really two companies, it's Kool Smiles and Kool Smiles 2.  KS is the clinics in the East and KS2 are the western most clinics.

Read the full article here: Business Week

However since after time passes and the stinch of a company begins to fill the offices of these PE firms, stories like this seem to vanish from the Internet.  So in case that happens, here is the full story:

By Cristina Alesci, Jeffrey McCracken and Jason Kelly

Oct. 4 (Bloomberg) -- American Securities LLC, a New York- based private-equity firm, is the leading bidder for a U.S. chain of dental clinics owned by Friedman Fleischer & Lowe LLC with an offer of about $700 million, according to people with knowledge of the auction.

Friedman Fleischer owns two companies, NCDR LLC and DPMS Inc., that provide facilities and support staff to dental groups operating under the Kool Smiles brand, according to the San Francisco-based firm’s website. TPG Capital also submitted an offer in the final round of bidding, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the deal hasn’t been completed.

Rajat Duggal, a managing director at Friedman Fleischer, couldn’t be reached for comment. Officials for American Securities and TPG declined to comment.

Private-equity firms have resumed dealmaking after a two- year lull following the global financial crisis that started in mid-2007, freezing credit markets and ending the biggest leveraged-buyout boom in history. There were $59 billion in deals in the third quarter, more than triple the amount a year earlier, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

American Securities, which was founded in 1947 by a Sears Roebuck & Co. heir, has invested in companies including vacuum- cleaner maker Oreck Corp. and the El Pollo Loco chain of chicken restaurants, according to its website. The firm was a runner-up at the recent sales of Air Medical Group Holdings Inc. and Aspen Dental Management Inc., both owned by private-equity firms, according to a person with knowledge of the sales.

Air Medical, Aspen Dental

Leonard Green & Partners, the Los Angeles-based private- equity firm, is buying Aspen Dental from Ares Management LLC. Bain Capital LLC, the Boston-based leveraged buyout-fund manager, is acquiring Air Medical from Brockway Moran & Partners Inc. and MVP Capital Partners.

Kool Smiles caters to children enrolled in Medicaid, a federal-state health insurance program for the poor, and other state health insurance plans, according to Friedman Fleischer’s website. Some firms that looked at Kool Smiles were concerned that it was too reliant on Medicaid payments as governments face deficits, said one person familiar with the auction.

Private-equity firms are increasingly buying companies from each other as more than half the companies that submitted plans for U.S. IPOs in 2010 have yet to complete them. Sales among buyout firms allow the seller to return cash to investors, while the acquirer is able to deploy unused capital that was raised during the boom. Clients saw distributions last year fall to the lowest level since at least 2000, according to London-based research firm Preqin.

Opening Clinics

Smile Brands Group Inc., a separate dental chain backed by private-equity firm Freeman Spogli & Co., scrapped an initial public offering in May. The company, which relies on patients with private insurance for most of its revenue, is now shopping itself in a sale process that is still in early stages, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

American Securities plans to expand Kool Smiles’ main business of opening clinics in places where access to dentists and other medical services is limited, the person said.

TPG has been pursuing deals. The Fort Worth, Texas-based firm and Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s buyout arm agreed in July to purchase Belgian diaper-maker Ontex NV for $1.55 billion from London-based private-equity firm Candover Investments Plc. TPG also acquired a 35 percent stake in Creative Artists Agency for an undisclosed amount in a deal announced Oct. 1.

Friedman Fleischer has more than $2 billion under management, according to its website. Its holdings include Korn/Ferry International, the executive-recruiting firm, and Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd., a Bermuda-based property reinsurance company.

--Editors: Elizabeth Wollman, Larry Edelman
To contact the reporters on this story: Cristina Alesci in New York at Calesci2@bloomberg.net; Jeffrey McCracken in New York at jmccracken3@bloomberg.net; Jason Kelly in New York at jkelly14@bloomberg.net.

New Kool Smiles TV Ad – Don't Fall For It

Just caught the new Kool Smiles ad.  It's lovely, and you know I'm puking and gagging.

Apparently since Kool Smiles is involved in multiple lawsuits for abusing children, and they are trying to unload this company to some Private Equity firms, they have decided to put out updated propaganda.

The two little happy face o's jump out of the Kool Smiles logo and take you one a whirl-a-way adventure through a Kool Smiles clinic.

"Fun way to keep your family's teeth healthy"

"Our office is built for the whole family, especially kids." as children slide down an indoor slide and climb all over a play yard.

"Plus, everyone is friendly, not just us. (speaking of themselves, those jolly little o's) If you want mommy can come back with you or watch through a window," showing the tiny port hole only allowing direct sight of children in they hygiene area. 

Do you want strangers gawking at you through a window while you get your medical treatment done?  Hell NO!

"We see everyone in the family, even kids as young as one," they boast. 

Yes, those one year olds where they drill and cap all 8 teeth they have just in case they might get some decay between 1 and 6.  Prevention you know.

"If you want quality dental care, in a clean, safe and fun environment, come to Kool Smiles."

It's just an ad folks, still stay far far away.

Kool Smiles Employee Warns Of Orange Jumpsuits; Wants Parents

Abileen Texas
Former Kool Smiles Employee

 

This dental clinic runs a very disorganized child factory. They truly only care to see "NEW" kids ages 4 and up that are well behaved as this is the age group that makes them the most revenue.

If your child is scheduled for a six mo cleaning expect to be rescheduled multiple times. Where is the continuance and quality of care? They rarely follow proper protocols on First Dental Home exams provided by the Medicaid program for babies age 6 mo to 36 mo.

The billing fraud that occurs throughout this company should be grounds for imprisonment or at the very least a through investigation by the OIG. I would high discourage anyone from taking their children to Kool Smiles, and find another employer unless you look good in orange jumpsuits. Not a good company to work for or take your precious kids to.

Mom Tells Of Recent Kool Smiles Experience In Massachusetts

A mom writes about her experience with Kool Smiles in Massachusetts.  This incident happened the week of July 26, 2010.  If you would like to read this and the numerous comments and other experiences, click here.

If your child has been injured from dental treatment such as almost happened to Kelly, contact Moriarty-Leyendecker here.

I took my kids to the dentist and I am in shock!  My kids have state insurance so I can only go to a few dentists that take Mass Heath. 

So we went to Kool Smiles.  I am ON my kids with brushing and flossing, they eat very little sugar and their teeth look pretty good.  My oldest had 2 spots that looked like they might be little cavities starting. But sadly I was not surprised cus the antiviral meds she has been on for 5 yrs has "stripping enamel of teeth" listed as the 2nd common side effect.

Well guess what?? Kool Smiles said my oldest needs 4 fillings, 2 root canals, and five crowns and my 4 yr old they said needed 3 fillings and 4 crowns!  WTH??????? On baby teeth! They are just trying to rob state insurance by doing procedures that do not need to be done.

So, I called my dentist (who does not take Masshealth) and they said they would give me a 2nd opinion for $30.  I am taking the girls in Wednesday.  But, my dentist was appalled!  He said he has never done a crown on a baby tooth and root canals on baby teeth are usually only for extreme cases! 

I am so pissed! If I can prove my kids do not really need all this dental work done i will be reporting Kool Smiles!

GRRR....Okay vent over! LOL!

UPDATE:

So we went to my dentist today.  And the verdict is-        Kool Smiles SUCKS! I already knew that though! LOL!

So, Caitlin does have some bad cavities but NOTHING like Kool Smiles said.  She has 2 small cavities on the top that should be filled and she does have 2 bad cavities on the bottom that if they were permanent teeth would need root canals.  But, since they will fall out in less than 2 year it makes more sense to have them taken out and have spacers put in.  Because the cavity is deep it could cause damage to the permanent teeth underneath if not removed.  They are her 1st set of molars and should not cause any movement in her other teeth by being taken out.

The dentist said her teeth had no plaque on them her gums look great and her permanent molors that have came halfway in looked great.  So, she said it was probably the meds that caused these cavities and if we keep doing what we are doing her teeth should be good.

And the best part is she told me about a great private dentist who takes Masshealth.  When I called them they were not taking new patients, but my dentist called them and they are gonna see both my girls!

So, to summarize we went from Kool Smiles saying she needed 4 fillings, 2 root canals, and 5 crowns to my dentist saying she needed 2 fillings and 2 teeth out! Big freakin jump! huh?

And I called Masshealth and reported the abuse and they  and now have to send someone out to investigate.  And they are sending me papers to file a formal complaint.  And I am calling my local news station ( I have several connections there) and am going to try to get them to do an investigative report.  My dentist said they see this often from Kool Smiles or Small Smiles and on a regular basis from there group.  These kid dentist mills HAVE to be stopped!

Thanks for all the support girls!  I am So glad I got my happy ending!

Kool Smiles is now Kool Smiles

Kool Smiles Holding, LLC is now Kool Smiles Holding, LLC.  Yeah I know it sounds stupid, and it is.
Kool Smiles was started by Dr. Tu Tran and Dr. Thien Pham, back in 2002 after leaving the employment of Ed and Michael DeRose at the Smile High clinic on Colorado.  (there a load of info on that on this blog)
By 2004 Tran and Pham reigned in the private equity firm, Friedman Fleischer & Lowe, a San Francisco base company.  Kool Smiles Holding was formed to facilitate the transaction.
NCDR, LLC (National Children Dental Research) was formed to ‘manage’ the Kool Smiles clinics. 
A couple of years ago, Kool Smiles II was created to take over the Kool Smiles in the west.  It was managed under the name DPMS, LLC (Dental Practice Management Services).  All still with FF&L holding the purse strings.
So all they have basically done was remerge.  They once were one, then they were two and now they are one again.
Here’s the Corporate run down:
President – David Lowe
VP and Sec – Aaron Money
Director – Tully Friedman
CFO – S. Thomas Nance
Directors– William Brody, Paul Walker, DDS, Douglas Brown, Kevin Miller, Brian Bouma, and Joseph Mello.
Kool Smiles Reg D form can be seen here.