Another one of those “studies” paid for by Kool Smiles parent company suggests more Medicaid money is needed for dental benefits to serve children in Texas!

I know it’s hard but try to stop laughing and read this ridiculous press release.
(Benevis was formerly NCDR (Kool Smiles), owned by private equity firm FLL Partners.)

Study Finds Only 26.5% Of Texas Children Eligible For Medicaid Dental Coverage Frequently Visit Dentist.

PRNewswire (7/30) carries a release announcing that a new survey by the Benevis Foundation, conducted by Kennesaw State and Emory University researchers, finds that “only 26.5% of Texas parents with children eligible for Medicaid dental coverage consistently bring their children to the dentist as frequently as they should,” with parents citing financial hardships as the primary barrier to more frequent dental visits. Geoffrey Freeman, spokesperson for the Benevis Foundation, said, “This suggests that parents may not be aware of the complete coverage of their benefit, or that there may be secondary costs – such as transportation or unpaid time off work – that keeps these families from visiting the dentist as often as they would like.”

Why aren’t corporate executives arrested for practicing dentistry without a license?

If people can be arrested for practicing dentistry without a license as they were in Houston recently,then pray tell why can’t these folks:

Jeff Lane  - NCDR dba Kool Smiles

Douglas W. Brown – Affordable Dentures

Michael Dell – DentalOne Partners

James Ferrell – ImmediaDent

David R. Wilson – CSHM dba Small Smiles

Stephen Thorne – Pacific Dental

Robert (Bob) Fontana – Aspen Dental

Greg Serrao – JLL Partners – American Dental Partners

James W. Leech – Ontario Teachers Pension Plan (OTPP) – Heartland Dental (if sale is completed)

Is it because the private equity owners hide behind 3-4 shell corporations and layers of regional managers? You bet it is.

For instance, Jeff Lane of FFL Partners has his office in Atlanta in the same building as National Children’s Dental Research (NCDR) - Kool Smiles. In fact Lane’s office and Dale Mayfield’s office are adjacent to one another. Mayfield is NCDR-Kool Smiles Chief Dental Officer.

Why does the private equity firm, who is supposedly “acting like a bank” – according to Kool Smiles regional manager Dr. Diane Earle – need one of their partners inside NCDR-Kool Smiles headquarters in Atlanta, basically sleeping with Dale Mayfield. Heck they have to walk by each other’s office to get to the bathroom!

According to Kool Smiles Holding Corporation Form D at the SEC the executives and directors of Kool Smiles are mostly FFL Partners executives. They are as follows:

Tully M. Friedman  - Director
David L. Lowe  -  Executive Officer and Director
Aaron S. Money – Executive Officer and Director
Doug Brown – Director
William R. Brody, MD – Director
Paul Walker, DDS – Director
Kevin Miller – Director
Thomas S. Nance – Executive Officer, Director and Promoter
Brian Bouma – Director
Joseph Mello – Director