Smile Starters Still Abusing Children and Keeping Parents From Going Back With Their Child; After The First Two Visits Of Course.

Here is the story of a child who went to Smile Starters in North Carolina.  Her name is Kathy and she's 3 years old.  This is a sad story.  They make the mother feel as though she's a bad parent, they use the usual scare tactics and they've even blamed the child for not behaving properly.
Smiles Starters is part of the DeRose family of clinics, with Dr. Raf Rivera listed as being the owner.  Dr. Raf was a long time employee of Dr. DeRose and Dr. Ballance. 
When they got into trouble in North Carolina, Dr. Raf came to the rescue, offered up his name and they never missed a beat.  Wonder if DeRose and Ballance have paid the $10 million settlement yet?  If you have a child you has suffered at the hands of these ruthless creatures disguised as a dentist, contact Moriarty-Leyendecker.

The place I take my DD (dear daughter)is called smile starters and they pulled my DD's top 4 out . Caps on all but 1 tooth which was sealed and the bottom 4 has porcelain crowns in the back of them. And now her bottom 4 is going bad . And I cut out almost all sugar brush 3 times or more a day and she only has water or milk nothing else.
This place is the only one that takes Medicaid. And this next appointment I was told I can't go back with her that only 2 appointments the parents are allowed. They had to use a papoose each time cause she kicks.
But now I dread the appointment that is coming up this Friday (July 30, 2010) because they talk very stern to me the other times acted as if I was the worst parent in the world.
If I could find another place I would but there isn't a place that will accept Medicaid And I know they would want to put her through another oral surgery to pull those 4 bottom teeth and she had her first surgery last Dec.
I know her teeth are bad from genetics and they looked rough and I am caught in a hard spot cause I don't want them to report me for neglect and it states that they can if I miss a certain amount of appointments and I already rescheduled it .
And the health departments dental clinic is not equipped to  handle my DD's tantrums she has ( she kicks , scratches, cries, and pukes). She even has these when I brush her teeth.
I wish they was more equipped because they are nice to me about everything and didn't talk harsh to me . As soon as she grows out of these tantrums she has she is going to them.

Before

After

After

Now what is it they say about needing to put crowns on teeth to hold the place for the permanent teeth?

I've also seen reports lately where parents are being asked to sign a waiver to let their child go back alone!

Report of Fayetteville Smile Starters Abusing Another Child

Yesterday, another child was abused and traumatized at Smile Starters in Fayetteville, North Carolina.  This child's father is a member of our military serving our country with pride.

The abusers were dental assistants Sonya and Christy and the dentist Dr. Rafael (Raf) Rivera, Michael DeRose and Tish Ballance's hand picked successor to run their Smile Starter clinics.
Until yesterday this was a bright and energetic 29 month old  little boy, today he's bruised, scratched, withdrawn, not eating and having other intestinal track issues.

I called the Fayetteville office – 910-864-9884 to see if they had any comment, Debbie at the office, said they did not.

Tricare contracts with this house of horrors to provide dental services to our military families.  SHAME on TriCare, SHAME of The Department Of Defense, but most of all SHAME on The North Carolina Dental Board for not closing the doors on these places.  The board knows full well what happens to children here.

Smile Starter and the EEOC

I've not been able to confirm this but I did receive an email reporting that Smile Starters in North Carolina, the same company fined $10 million dollars for medicaid fraud in 2008 are back under federal investigation once again. Only this time it's for discrimination.

Smiles Starters was originally owned and operated by Michael A. DeRose and Letitia Ballance, but soon after investigation for fraud, over treatment of children (doing root canals and crowns on perfectly good teeth, sometime up to 16 at one visit) they supposedly sold the clinics to Dr. Raf Rivera, but that sale remains in question since Dr. Raf was an employee of DeRose and Ballance. Many think DeRose still has his hands in that business.

Both Dr. DeRose and Dr. Ballance were sanctioned by the North Carolina dental board. Dr. Ballance went on to open more medicaid dental clinics, one in Waynesville, NC going under the name of Carolina West Dental.

Why she (Dr. Ballance)is still allowed to bilk medicaid and earn a living using the medicaid system in North Carolina is a question the baffles those who know about it. In fact it is baffling why either of these dentist still have a licenses to practice dentistry in ANY state, and certainly baffling as to why they are not in jail.

Wheather FORBA (of Small Smiles) fame is still associated with these clinics is also in question. At times over the past couple of years, Dr. DeRose has made mention he still owned them, and other times he's stated he sold them with Small Smiles to FORBA. But if asked FORBA will tell you they don't 'own' any dental clinics, they only manage them.

Here is the email I received"

Yes, Smile Starters is back under the eye of the Federal Government. Now they are under investigation for employee discrimination. Look into the EEOC, there are three counts of discrimination against them. They are now firing their most experienced staff and replacing them with unexperienced staff for half the salary. I assume they are trying to make up for the $10 million they had to dish out for Medicaid fraud.

Dad tackles Smile Starters Dentist

It doesn't look like things have changed any under the so called new management at Smile Starters in North Carolina.  (BTW, it's still under Michael DeRose control)

Here is a comment I got just two days ago.

My friend took her son there for his first dental visit and has vowed never to return. She managed to witness the staff attempting to restrain her infant son into a straight jacket, which they said was needed to keep him from moving and potentially injuring himself. Then she checked a little later and the doctor had a fist inches away from her sons face at which point her husband tackled the doctor and she grabbed her son. They are suing.