How many lawsuits have been filed against Small Smiles Dental Centers and the dentists who have worked there?

March 4, 2013
The answer can be found in court documents filed during their bankruptcy proceedings over the last year.  According to Affidavit of Chief Restructuring Officer of Martin McGahan, 100 were on file in February 2012.  More recent documents filed by their malpractice insurance carrier states 1100 are "working” so to speak and more lawsuit likely to come.

 

Affidavit of Martin McGahan - Doc 11 - February 20, 2012 – page 14 paragraph 38

“Since January 2010, approximately 11 lawsuits on behalf of over one hundred plaintiffs have been filed against the Company and certain of the Dental Centers, in primarily three states, Ohio, New York and Oklahoma.”

NUFI Objection Doc 568 - December 28, 2012 – page 4 paragraph 3:

“Subsequent to the Debtors’ settlement with the DOJ and the various states, a number of lawsuits were filed throughout the country by or on behalf of the Dental Center patients against certain of the Debtors, Dental Centers and Dentists, alleging claims for damages based upon treatment received at the Dental Centers. In addition to the Patient Litigation, the Debtors contend that “at least approximately 1100 additional patients or former patients” have retained counsel to assert similar claims against the Debtors, the Dental Centers and the Dentists.”

Dentists and auxiliary employee of Small Smiles Dental Centers (current or former) are not likely to be able to exhale for a very long time.

For a list of the 600 plus pleadings and filing of this case see in United States Bankruptcy Court – Middle District of Tennessee, see:
Church Street Health Management Docket Report

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In other Small Smiles Dental Centers news.  I’m told the morning huddles continue and production numbers remain a major topic of discussion. 

South Bend office is said to be the top producing clinic which is ironic, since the lead dentist at that clinic obtained her Indiana dental license fraudulently.  The former credentialing officer Kalleen West took online CE’s for the doctor when she was hired – September 28, 2007 – the dentist needed a few before Indiana would issue her license.  Ms. West was accused of the same acts concerning former Regional Managers, for Dr. Kenneth Knott and Dr. Robert Andrus, also in 2007.   

The long time Office Manager at the Colorado Springs office continues to run through assistants at record speed.  Makes a person wonder what kind of “gig” she has going on in that office.  It’s been known for a lead dentist and office manager too “hook up” with a little revenue generating scam of their own.  For example the x-ray scam perpetrated by the OM and lead dentist at the Denver clinic between June 2010 and June 2011. 

When all the honest employees are fired,only the criminal will remain.  I think we are almost there.  Should make for easy arrests, just run the employee list and the authorities will know how many pairs of handcuffs they need to order.

The South Bend Small Smiles no longer sees Michigan Medicaid patients.  Which is good for the children.  Michigan didn’t reimburse as well as Indiana so those children received more procedures per patient that Indiana children, at least that’s what I’m told.

Shawn Nicholson, the former Ohio sub-region manger and his wife, Teresa, lead dentist at the Muncie,Indiana clinic are said to have bought the Muncie clinic, renaming it Nicholson Family Dental, LLC.  Whether they actually purchased it or not is questionable.  The documents on file at the Indiana Secretary of State website simply mentions the Articles of Organization was amended to change the name in July of 2012 – from Small Smiles of Muncie, LLC to Nicholson Family Dental, LLC.