In 2016, 4 year old Liseth Lares died just days after visiting the same Yuma, AZ Kool Smiles clinic as 2 year old Zion Gastelum

YUMA, Arizona --

Two children, one dentist's office, each meeting the same tragic fate.
An Arizona mother is suing Kool Smiles in Yuma after her 4-year-old daughter died days after she visited the dentist's office in January 2016.

Francisca Lares said she is heartbroken, because she was only trying to do the right thing in getting care for her daughter, KNXV reports.

But when little Liseth Lares developed a fever, family attorney Marco Mercaldo said the dentist sent the girl home after a "relatively cursory exam."

"Told the mom essentially there is nothing to worry about, she'll be fine," Mercaldo said. "Unfortunately, the infection spread and she died of the infection."

Mercaldo argues Liseth could have survived the infection if Kool Smiles had given her the proper treatment.

Read full report here.

2-year-old Zion Gastelum dies after dental appointment at Kool Smiles

YUMA, AZ - An Arizona family is left confused, devastated and looking for answers about just what happened during a young boy's dental appointment.

The family of Zion Jay Gastelum said the 2-year-old died after a dentist appointment in Yuma last month. Zion's uncle told ABC15 the child's parents took him to Kool Smiles Dentist on December 16 for a crown and filling, and somehow either during or after the process, it appears Zion stopped breathing. 

According to family, Zion was transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center and then flown to Maricopa County, where he died several days later.

Read more here

What’s in a name: NCDR and CSHM rebranding

NCDR, LLC (Kool Smiles) can become Benevis, and CSHM (Small Smiles) can become First Quality Management (FQM) but the people are the same, the service is the same and the business model is the same.

  It would be interesting to hear from Adam Ditto, who has been with them all:

FORBA>CSHM>FQM (Small Smiles now “fill in the blank Smiles Youth Dentistry)

Hero Management  (Adventure Dental and Vision, taking over at least some of the old Small Smiles)

NCDR>Benevis (Kool Smiles and Resolution Dental)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What secrets does Adam Ditto hold?

Kool Smiles Dentist—Dr. Tuan “Terry” Truong, DDS— sentenced to 18 months in jail

Let me get this straight, private equity firm FFL’s corporation—NCDR, LLC/Kool Smiles—hired Dr. Troung, trained him to be a thief, gave him quota’s to meet, and now want their money back for legal expenses. OMG!

Here is what I want to know:

1. Why was Dr. Tuan Truong not on his hands and knees begging to spill his guts about this crooked company?

2. If he did who stopped him and why?

3. Was he here on a work visa?

PS: Don’t choke and puke when you read out “Kool Smiles” cooperated with the investigation! You bet your ass they did, and directed investigators to only what they wanted them to know apparently.

 

Abilene Dentist Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison and Ordered to Pay Nearly $58,000 in Restitution in Medicaid Fraud Scheme

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 5, 2014

Defendant Worked as a Pediatric Dental Provider at Kool Smiles
and Personally Benefitted From Scheme

ABILENE, Texas — Dr. Tuan Truong, aka “Terry Truong,” of Abilene, a dentist who practiced pediatric dentistry at Kool Smiles in Abilene, was sentenced this afternoon, by U.S. District Judge Jorge A. Solis, to 18 months in federal prison.  Truong pleaded guilty in August 2013 to an Information charging one count of making a false statement in connection with a health care matter.  Truong was also ordered to pay $57,969 in restitution to Kool Smiles.  Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.

According to documents filed in the case, in summer 2008, Truong began working for Kool Smiles, which paid him a base salary and offered opportunities for bonuses based on additional procedures he performed in excess of daily targets set by Kool Smiles management.  Dentists were required to use professional judgment in the treatment and management of patient care.

Dentists BEWARE -Kool Smiles Dental Center dentist thrown under the bus by NCDR, LLC

Looks like Dr. Tuan Truong aka Terry Troung is to Kool Smiles Dental what Robin Lockwood is to Ocean Dental. 
I bet ole Dr. Troung thought he was free and clear since leaving Kool Smiles.  If Dr. Troung thought NCRD, LLC was going to protect him, he was very wrong.  They will NOT! 
If you work for any of these type of places, you’ll be looking over your should for the rest of your life.
To Dr. Troung, and all other dentists working for these Medicaid mills, “I told you so.”.

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Published August 27, 2013
An Abilene dentist pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to one count of making a false statement in connection with a health care matter, according to a U.S. Department of Justice spokeswoman.
Dr. Tuan Truong, aka Terry Truong, admitted to falsely billing Medicaid for between $120,000 and $200,000 between June 2008 and July 2009, said Kathy Colvin, spokeswoman for the justice department. Truong practiced pediatric dentistry at Kool Smiles in Abilene.
U.S. District Judge Jorge A. Solis has not yet sentenced Truong, who faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and restitution.
“In summer 2008, Truong began working for Kool Smiles, which paid him a base salary and offered opportunities for bonuses based on additional procedures he performed in excess of daily targets set by Kool Smiles management,” Colvin said.
By falsely billing Medicaid, Truong collected $32,749 in bonuses he otherwise would not have collected.
The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Office of the Attorney General for the State of Texas conducted the investigation.
 
Dr. Tuan (Terry) Truong, DDS TSBDE Action signed April 2011

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Senate Report On Corporate Dentistry in Medicaid (includes Kool Smiles)

Kool Smiles under investigation?

February 11, 2013
I'm hearing rumblings of a Kool Smiles investigation going on by a federal agency but its not the one I have would expected; although I'm not surprised to hear is taking place.

There are literally thousands of complaints from parents and patients online about the Kool Smiles call center, for example:

404-781-0512 "Kool Smiles continues to call my cell phone and harass me almost daily...even after I've told them numerous times to stop..."

"They are so pressed to get your business that they disregard your privacy.."

"...I receive several phone calls a week from Kool Smiles to both my cell phone and my husband's..."

"These callers call me again and again..."

I'm told their automated system was a train wreck and Kool Smiles is fully aware of it.

Essentially set up as an appointment reminder it soon turned into high pressure sales calls to get parents to bring their child back for more torturous dental care. As long as the number was a "good" number Kool Smiles would continue the harassment. Same as they are with children's teeth, as long as there is prospective tooth to treat, it got treated, needed or not.

Apparently there has finally been enough complaints and the FCC is investigating. This is not confirmed by the FCC but my sources are solid.

In further Kool Smiles news:

I'm told Kool Smiles in Texas are being converted to their latest brain child - Resolution Dental. All expansion plans for new offices that were scheduled to open in 2013 have been cancelled.

NCDR, LLC’s clinics - Kool Smiles Dental - pitch to Texas House of Representatives

On Monday October 15, 2012, Dr. Diane Coopwood Earle, DDS, Senior Regional Dental Director of Kool Smiles Dental centers gave a 4 page statement, and subsequent testimony before the Texas House of Representatives committee on Public Health.
Summary of her statement:
- She’s been a licensed dentist in Texas for 30 years.
- Kool Smiles has 38 offices in Texas.They employee 85 dentists in 38 offices in Texas (only 34 show up in 2011 data).
- All 38 Kool Smiles are owned by dentists.(Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!)
- All clinical and patient treatment decisions are made by the treating dentist
- NCDR, LLC handles non-clinical administrative, critical business support and purchasing. (more lies including the fact, only licensed medical professionals are legally able to purchase many medical supplies)
- DSO’s are “innovative” business models. (Bernie Madoff too was “innovative”)
- As a dentist, DSO’s help her do what she “does best – providing high quality dental care to my patients and spending more time with them.” (she billed Texas for performing 833 procedures on 643 patients in 2011, that’s about 12 patients a week.)
- Non-clinical leaders “DO NOT interfere with clinical decisions of the dentists”
- She has “NEVER been told by a corporation or corporate entity how to treat our patients.” (I bet that statement comes back to bite her in the ass)
- “Without that necessary separation between delivery of professional quality dental care and administrative support, the model would not work.” (this will be another bite on the back side, I bet)

NCDR, LLC–Kool Smiles looking to infect adult dental care in Texas-Under the name Resolution Dental

Kool Smiles and NCDR, LLC are venturing over into adult care in Odessa, Texas – buyer beware! Operating under the name Resolution Dental, they are seeking applicants and offering a $25k sign on bonus. Here is the job posting.
While the brakes were put on to the grand openings of their newest Medicaid mills in Texas, its full steam ahead for at least one Resolution Dental office.
They don’t want applicants to know who they are really going to be employed by as Paul has set up an innocuous email address -resolutiondentalhr@gmail.com
Most of the job have you contact Paul Court at 925-407-5383. Paul is a dentist recruiter for NCDR, LLC
Ncdr, L.L.C.
1575 Northside Drive Building 400
Atlanta, Georgia 30318
United States
www.ncdrllc.com
According to Zoom Info, Paul’s past employment consists of:

Employment History

• Branch Manager Robert Half International Inc

Financial Services Manager Robert Half International Inc

Branch Manager Accountemps

Manager, Dental Staffing Kool Smiles P.C

General Manager U.S. Department of Education

Kool Smiles–NCDR, LLC cuts this week–No more “recruiting” efforts

Kool Smiles cutting spending. Besides a halt to all new clinic openings/construction in Texas, this week, now more cuts – see below.

Dear NCDR and Kool Smiles colleagues:
Our CRS program (which includes CRS’s, CSM’s and CE’s) has played a very important role in building Kool Smiles over the years, and is an important part of our culture. Our CRS colleagues have helped create a dental home for thousands of patients. Unlike many of our competitors, our CRS's have played by the rules, and we appreciate it. 
However, regulations and other scrutiny of CRS programs are increasing rapidly: CRS programs are now prohibited or severely restricted in states with nearly half our offices. CRS programs are also under rapidly increasing pressure from muckraking journalists, as well as trial attorneys making bogus claims against us. We expect this scrutiny of CRS programs to expand to other states, as well, and it helps make Kool Smiles an easy target for very damaging attacks on the company, as we've seen in Texas, even though we are "the good guys" in the industry.
So, unfortunately, we've had to make the difficult decision to eliminate the CRS program, effective September 14, with the exception of the four CSM’s in Texas, where we have important ongoing government relations initiatives. CRS's, CSM’s and CE’s will receive a severance package based on years of service, and will have 30 days of transition time.
During the next 30 days, CRS's will transfer their most important local relationships to local OMs. We will generate leads with increased use of efficient traditional and new media. We will also continue to educate our patients through media, social media and local public relations programs, and we are establishing a small local community relations fund for each office. We will provide more details on this over the next couple of weeks.
The CRS program, and the contributions our CRS's have made to the company, are integral parts of our culture, and this is a painful decision, but one that we need to make to help ensure the health and continued growth of the company going forward.  I know this is difficult for everyone involved, but I ask you to help make the transition happen professionally, and to remain focused on providing great care to our patients, every day.
Thank you,
Jeff Lane
President
NCDR LLC

 
CRS = Community Relations Specialist. They drum up new business, basically. They are not anywhere near as aggressive as the 'recruiters' for some other corporate dental chains and they certainly aren't kidnapping kids, but they do go to schools, daycares, etc.
CE = Community Educator. Similar role, but they do more education-oriented stuff like teaching kids about proper dental care...with the motive of getting them to come in to a KS office.
CSM = Community Smile Maker - Basically a CRS by another name.
I think this could be happening, in part, because of the “recruiting-kidnapping” that a few notable dental clinics in Texas are partaking in these days.

Kool Smiles Frick and Frack together again…

Appears they have reunited! Unlike Martin and Lewis who never reunited Frick (Tu Tran, DDS) and Frack (Thien Pham, DDS) have found their way back into each others arm.

Tran and Pham broke away from Small Smiles in Colorado back in 2002 and started Kool Smiles. A few years ago, Pham broke away and went off on his own. I heard he was “bought out”.

Thein Pham went on to open a couple of clinics in Arizona called Molar Magic. I hear he scouting out locations in New Mexico to open some clinics. 

 

 

 

Tu Tran, DDS stayed in the Atlanta area and slapped his name on the door of every Kool Smiles in the nation. I’m guessing he must spend his time taking CE’s and renewing his dental license since he has one in nearly every state.

 

 

 

Now, Tran and Pham are reunited and I have proof! I have proof they had “split the sheet” in 2010 and in 2012 they are sharing the sleeping bag so to speak. Maybe sharing a cell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You have to admire the copy paper taped to the door these days. It says:

“Kool Smiles Doctors Available to Care for Your Dental Needs Today Are…

Dr. Tu Tran, Dr. Mayfield, Dr. Nkashama, Dr. Jackson,Dr. Duckswork, Dr. Khan, Dr. Ogundipe, Dr. Twardy, Dr. Kalra.

They emphasized “Today”…  but I know dang well all these dentists are NOT available to see to anyone’s dental needs..not today, not tomorrow and not yesterday!

I don’t know what all this means, but you can bet they are up to no good.

Polly “Wanna Crack Her” Buckey Remix

You can't hide your lyin eyes
And your smile is a thin disguise
I thought by now you'd realize
There ain't no way to hide your lyin' eyes
There ain't no way to hide your lyin' eyes
Honey, you can't hide your lyin' eyes – The Eagles

All joking aside, there is no way you can miss when she’s lying. The corner of her mouth pulls to the left, she looks to the right, and her voice is deep and raspy. (shaky)… and she gets that whacked out look on her face.

What I’m wondering is why Dr. David M. Strange has stopped putting his family at risk by going on TV and lying. Maybe it’s because, even though she sucks at it, she is the one willing to risk it all to do it.

There is a lot of hoopla over the FRONTLINE and Center of Public Integrity investigation, which is well deserved. But all the allegations are not new. These same allegation have been hitting regional and local news stations for years.!

Reports have landed in the local press and on local news stations since at least 2008. It is 2012, right?  Is anyone listening to these parents; to these employees?

Here are some of the reports:

Kool Smiles files suit against law firm taking personal injury cases - I’m thinking this is NOT a good idea for Freidman Fleischer & Lowe; Doug Brown or Kevin Miller…

…Dentistry of Brownville, P.C. or NCDR, LLC, or KS TX, P.C. or  whatever name Kool Smiles dental centers are using.

You have a Private Equity firm behind the Kool Smiles name. You have a Private Equity firm basically practicing dentistry. You have a Private Equity firm setting up dummy professional corporations in many states, Texas included. You have a crooked dentist, Dr. Tu Tran with his name all over Dentistry of Brownsville, PC and he doesn’t even practice in Texas or any other state for that matter!  He lives outside Atlanta. According to Texas records, NCDR, LLC is “governed” by Kool Smiles Acquisition Corporation-400 EAST GALLERIA PARKWAY SE, STE. 800
ATLANTA , GA 30339

There are thousands of parents complain their children are being injured and abused with unnecessary and substandard dental treatment. These same complaints have been coming from Kool Smiles clinics across the nation for 5 years. The parents are claiming of harsh and brutal touching and manhandling of their children to deliver that dental care. All for the simple reason to bill Medicaid for as much as they can in as quickest amount of time. Maybe parents have taken photos, made audio and video recordings of the children screaming and have decided to take action against the dentist and the company responsible for it. Maybe some support staff at the dental centers have done the same.
So, what does the company do? It files suit against the law firm taking the cases, citing “Copyright Infringement”.  Seriously??!!

5:12 –CV-00036
Monday March 19, 2012
NCDR, LLC
Dentistry of Brownsville, P.C.
KS TX, PC
vs.
Mauze & Bagby, PLLC
George Watts Mauze, II
James Thomas Bagby, III
Texas Southern District Court
Tradmark Infringement
Kool Smiles v Mauze & Bagby

Original Complaint	Exhibit 5 [doc 1-6]
Exhibit 1[doc 1-2]	Exhibit 6 [doc1-7]
Exhibit 2 [doc1-3]	Exhibit 7 [doc 1-8]
Exhibit 3 [doc 1-4]	Exhibit 8 [doc 1-9]
Exhibit 4 [doc1-5]	Exhibit 9 [doc 1-10]

Friedman, Fleischer & Lowe (FFL)

FFL Partners Executive Investors
Kool Smiles Investment
Midwest Dental Investment

Why would a Florida state representative, who is a CPA, own a business that contracts with Private Equity financed corporate dental practices to train their dental hygiene departments?

Let’s start here -
Does anyone find it the least bit odd that:
Douglas W. Brown of  Dental Works, Dental One, Dental Care Partners Dental Works and Secretary of the Dental Group Practice Association owns Regional Clinical Consultants, a company designed to train hygienists the art of upselling.

“Hygiene at DentalCare Partners (DCP) has experienced a huge paradigm shift in recent years, from the hygienists being“prophy queens” to “periodontal therapists.”Doug Brown, CEO, hired a consulting group in 2004 that worked with DCP-affiliated dentists to develop the first periodontal protocol.  Brown knew that the investment to provide training and development to all hygienists throughout DCP, as well as comprehensive care to doctors and auxiliary staff, would pay off.  This company wide initiative occurred from 2004 to 2005 and was worth every penny in not only monetary rewards but by fostering patient stability and improving quality of care. n 2005, Brown created the Regional Clinical Consultant position at DCP. 

Parents complaining about Kool Smiles Dental and have been for years I might add–socks over their hands, tied down and blindfolded.

This is the crap you get when you get Private Equity firms, or as I call them, “Lenders for Criminals” are involved in medical care. It’s about the bottom line, not whether treatment is needed, nor is it delivered in professionally acceptable standards!! It’s illegal on so many levels and so far, we’ve not seen an Attorney General with the balls to stop it!

Hey, all you AG’s out there, I’ve got a back up set I’ll loan you! Give me a call! 
Pro8News

Parents Complain About Kool Smiles
By KGNS News

Story Created: Feb 28, 2012 at 10:12 PM CST
Story Updated: Feb 29, 2012
A dental office with a local branch could be in a lot of trouble.
Parents complained about what they call ‘unprofessional treatment’ their children received at Kool Smiles.

They described their kids having their hands covered with socks and tied up while a dental procedure was being done.
[I suppose this is somehow deemed better than Dr. Steven Adair’s Superman Cape idea!]
Some even complained of having procedures done without the proper sedatives.
[I’ve been told over the years, when giving nitrous, they only turn on the oxygen to give the appearance of giving nitrous to parents, bill for nitrous but save on nitrous.  I’d like an audit of amount of Nitrous billed and the amount of Nitrous purchased at each clinic!]
Now a San Antonio law firm says all Kool Smiles locations in south Texas are being investigated.

Florida State Congressman Michael Bileca drowning in dental companies. He’s a CPA, not a DMD!

What would a Florida State Representative have his name on so many dental companies? Congressman Bileca is on the following either as a member of the LLC, Executive of the Corporation or the Registered Agent. He’s also the treasurer of the Dental Group Practice Association, that nasty little group whose goal is convince Private Equity firms to invest their every last dollar in corporate dentistry as they have defined it.  (FFL seems to be a huge sucker for this one, or they run DGPA..hmmm)

Among the odd things on this list, is there are ONLY dental companies. Not, lawn care companies, not roofing companies, not your general smorgasbord of companies one would expect if he were just their “registered agent”.
Got a complaint about this; don’t write your state representative, he knows all about it.  Contact the Florida State Dental Board:
Department of Health Board of Dentistry
4052 Bald Cypress Way
Bin C-08
Tallahassee, FL 32399-3258
Phone: (850) 488-0595
Fax: (850) 921-5389

Private Equity's slave trade in America.

This may come off as racist, but it is not. I say this because its true, inhumane and needs saying.

Our dental offices are beginning to look like nail salons!

Private Equity firms are bringing foreign trained dentists to assist them in stealing every last dollar they can from our Medicaid system. They are doing this by training the unwitting immigrants to over treat and under protect children, preferably under age 5, in our poorest communities, through Medicaid dental chop shops.

Private Equity firms, such as the Carlyle Group and others are brain washing the foreign professionals into believing they are serving the poor here in the US.

Little do the poor souls know they are being brought here to assist Private Equity firms in raiding the US treasury. Not until it's too late, do they realize what has happened; they are not here to bring a better tomorrow to our children as well as themselves.

This seems to be a business model the greedy in America are unwilling to stop.

Just because they are flown in on a jet instead of a wooden ship crossing the ocean does not make it different.

Today instead of plantation owners it's executives of Private Equity firms, but still the same ole shit.

Shameful!

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:

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.

 

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.

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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.

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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.

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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]

Murder suspect arrested at place of employment–Kool Smiles!

Another example of the “quality” care brought to the “underserved” children by dental mills like Kool Smiles, Small Smiles and various others.

Ever wonder how well these dental mills vet their employees?  Not very damn well!

I mentioned in a post a month or two ago, I bet there were all kinds of criminals working in these places.  I had in mind, child molesters since abusing children sets pretty well with the folks there.

However, it’s accused murders as well! 

Just think of the children this dental hygienist had his hands on.  He is accused of suffocating a 26 year old woman to death in 2004.  Was he thinking about suffocating your child while he was so close to their little faces?  Was he thinking about putting your child in the Charles River where he is accused of dumping Julaine?  What about his co-workers?  Aren’t you Kool Smiles folks ready to blow the whistle wide open on this retched company.

Probably!  How could he not! 

Think of all the personal information this creep had at his disposal?  Scary!

Here is the woman he is accused of murdering.  Julaine Jules, a Hatiean-American woman who had worked at a children’s museum.