Very Graphic Interview -Children Leave Dentist Office With Extreme Bruising

WARNING:

This video is extremely graphic and may be very disturbing!

Click Here To See Video 
Sorry, the video has been removed.

These Clinics were owned/are by Dr. Michael DeRose and Dr. William Mueller.

A child died being treated by Dr. Matthew C. Nolen, trained at clinic owned by Dr. William Mueller.

Dr. Ed DeRose owned the one clinic named "Smile High Dentistry"

According to public records, Dr. Tu Tran from "Smile High Dentistry" in Colorado moved on to become Chief Dentist for Kool Smiles.

Small Smiles Clinic Investigation Report, Methods Crticized-Wichita, KS

In Kansas, Corporate Dentistry is Illegal and that is exactly what Small Smiles, Operated by Forba Management is doing. Other dentists wants these people gone and have filed complaints of Corporate ownership against Small Smiles Clinics in Kansas.

Forba is saying someone else owns the clinic in question, and they just "manage it" but the Kansas Dental Board is looking into this as we speak.

At the Forba website they do not list the clinics locations in Wichita, Topeka or Kansas City, However, job opening for these locations are listed at Forba. Obviously, Forba Small Smiles is trying to operate under the radar of Kansas Law.

Want to take a guess as to what shined the light on these crooks, Using Papoose Boards on Children!

They better be looking into Ocean Dental, as they have clinics in Kansas as well!

Read the FULL and eye opening story below.

What have I been trying to tell everyone!

Dental Clinic's Methods Criticized
The Wichita Eagle (Wichita, Kan.)
2008-03-16

By Karen Shideler, The Wichita Eagle, Kan.
Mar. 16--A Wichita dental clinic that serves mostly low-income children is drawing criticism from some parents and other dentists, in part for using procedures that the critics say traumatize its young patients.
They say Small Smiles Dental Clinic of Wichita routinely restrains children during treatment, does not allow parents to accompany their children to treatment and does work that doesn't seem necessary.
In addition, the dentists are concerned that Small Smiles tries to give the impression it is staffed by dentists who are specialists in children's care. And, they say, it is corporate dentistry, a practice not allowed in Kansas.
Small Smiles dentist Reza Akbar, in an e-mailed statement, said, "We are proud of the high-quality, compassionate care we provide.... Last year, we served more than 11,000 children, and the feedback I have received has been overwhelmingly positive. I am unaware of any concerns raised by parents."
Akbar is the owner of the clinic, according to a Small Smiles spokesman.
Small Smiles, which opened in 2005, turned down requests for interviews or visits. An out-of-state spokesman for Small Smiles, who asked not to be named, said by e-mail, "This is a concerted effort by the company to focus on patient care in the midst of recent scrutiny."
In November, ABC News and an affiliate ran stories about Small Smiles offices in the Washington, D.C., area. The stories told of frightened children, the use of restraints and the prohibition of parents in the treatment area -- the same concerns echoed by parents and dentists in Wichita in interviews with The Eagle.
Many Medicaid clients
Small Smiles' advertising notes that it serves Medicaid and HealthWave children. The Small Smiles spokesman said 98 percent of Small Smiles' Wichita patients have Medicaid or HealthWave, programs that provide medical and dental coverage for low-income children and some others who meet income guidelines.
Many dentists do not accept Medicaid patients or accept only a few because the reimbursement for their care is less than what is paid by private insurance. But Crystal Walker, a pediatric dentist, said four of the five pediatric dental practices in Wichita do accept Medicaid patients. Some general dentists also take those patients, and dental care is offered to Medicaid patients at GraceMed and some other clinics.
In 2007, Small Smiles got more than $4.5 million in Medicaid and HealthWave dental payments from the state, according to the Kansas Health Policy Authority. The clinic declined to say how many dentists it employs.
The clinic uses what amounts to assembly-line dentistry, some say.
"They go in, they do the cleaning, they do the diagnostic, they get everything done that they can in one day," said pediatric dentist David Brown.
"It was like an assembly line," said Shelbi Meisch, whose daughter was a Small Smiles patient. "There was just nothing about the experience that felt like you were getting good care."
Restraining patients
Though parents said they were not allowed to accompany their children into the treatment area, the Small Smiles spokesman said that's not policy: "Parents decide in consultation with their dentist whether or not to be present during their child's care," his e-mail said.
Jeff Davis said he and his wife were asked to sign a consent form giving Small Smiles permission "to do everything from yell at the child to physically restrain them to tie them down."
Meisch, as well as Delicia Akbar, whose children also were Small Smiles patients, said uncooperative children -- including theirs -- are immobilized in a "papoose board." Akbar isn't related to the Small Smiles dentist.
The Small Smiles spokesman provided a copy of a consent form used at Small Smiles in Rochester, N.Y., and said the one in Wichita is similar.
It asks parents to agree to "protective stabilization," described this way: "The child is wrapped in the device and placed in a reclined dental chair." Pictures on the form show a child with what looks like a blanket and a shaped back piece.
Medical suppliers describe a "papoose board" as a rigid board with wide fabric straps that have Velcro fasteners. Separate straps hold limbs inside the wrap, providing a snug-fitting restraint that immobilizes the patient.
The Small Smiles spokesman said, "Our records indicate that protective restraint was used in fewer than 3 percent of all patient visits in Wichita last year."
Akbar took her three children to Small Smiles. She read and signed the consent form "but my understanding of the restraint was not something.. to strap them down." She said the papoose board was used on her 9-year-old.
"I didn't even think anything negative until the kids came out and told me what happened," she said.
Papoose boards have a limited place in dentistry, three Wichita pediatric dentists said, and may be appropriate for special-needs children, for example. But there are other ways to get children to cooperate, they said. They don't use papoose boards.
Walker said she uses a "tell, show, do" approach to familiarize a patient with treatment. But she said that nearly every former Small Smiles patient "will not even lay in the chair" at her office because they're so frightened. Many need sedation for routine care because of their fear, she said.
Concerns about care
Another pediatric dentist, David Brown, said his main concern is "the patients that leave there absolutely terrified." In addition, he voiced concerns about the care provided. He said he has had parents who were told at Small Smiles that their child had seven cavities, "and I personally have not been able to find seven cavities."
Meisch said Small Smiles dentists wanted to put crowns on several of her daughter's teeth, including two front baby teeth that were loose. She said she asked that those two teeth be pulled -- and the dentists pulled others as well, including a molar that has necessitated a dental spacer. "They didn't listen very well," she said.
The Small Smiles spokesman said the clinic provides care according to the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. "The appropriate treatment plan is determined by dentists and is based on the dentists' professional judgment," he said in the e-mailed statement.
Small Smiles' advertising says it provides care to "children from their 1st tooth through age 20."
Only dentists who have had extra training may call themselves pediatric dentists.
"They do seem to market to children," said Betty Wright, executive director of the Kansas Dental Board. But by noting at the bottom of its ad that its dentists are general dentists, Small Smiles complies with Kansas law, she said.
Corporate connection
Nationwide, Forba, a dental management company based in Nashville, Tenn., owns Small Smiles. Its Web site does not list the clinic in Wichita -- or the ones in Topeka or Kansas City -- among its locations. But job openings for all three sites are posted on the Web site.
The Small Smiles spokesman said Akbar owns the Wichita clinic.
"The clinic receives assistance regarding marketing, human resources, policy, information technology, collections, and other administrative functions under a management services agreement with Forba," his statement said.
Kansas law prohibits corporate dentistry, in which a practice is owned by someone who doesn't practice there.
Wichita orthodontist Kendall Dillehay said he had filed a corporate ownership complaint about Small Smiles. He was told his complaint would be investigated and that he'd be informed of the results.
Dental complaints are investigated by the Kansas Dental Board. For action to be taken, Wright said that she would need to see evidence that Small Smiles is not owned by Akbar.
Wright said no disciplinary action has been taken against Small Smiles or its dentists, nor were there any pending disciplinary orders.
Investigations are confidential, she said, so she would not say whether any were or weren't under way.
Reach Karen Shideler at 316-268-6674 or kshideler@wichitaeagle.com.

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Here are just a few comments from parents who have been to the Small Smiles Dental Assembly Line Clinic:

1. I worked at Small Smiles when they first opened in Wichita. It was no less than hell on earth for children. They do everything and more to the kids that is mentioned in the article. I quit within 2 weeks because it broke my heart to work there. I would never recommend anyone to take there child to this office.
2. This sounds like child abuse to me. They should be thoroughly investigated like Tiller was. Where is the justice in supporting unborn babies? Why don't they support those whom are already born? Nola Foulsten needs to look into this business. Whether parental consent was given or not. Kudos to the previous poster for quitting. When my daughter got braces she told me she had friends who had went there and that the people there were extremely mean. I'm glad I took my kids both to Dr. John Hullings he's the greatest orthodontist in town. Front office staff isn't so nice, but the ones working on your teeth can't be beat. I've never been not allowed to view any and all treatment my kids' received.
3. Reza Akbar??? It sounds like third world dentistry to me, where abuse and a lack of civil rights are a way of life. And if, as they say, "And, they say, it is corporate dentistry, a practice not allowed in Kansas", why is it being allowed. This place of torture needs to be shut down. The trauma the children are being subjected to will follow them the rest of their life. I am 65 and still don't like to go the a dentist because of bad dental experiences as a child. WAKE UP WICHITA!!!!
4. So Small Smiles takes medicaid, a govt. program. It looks like the govt. and medicine are great together. It will be wonderful when the government takes over health care via Obama or Clinton.

There are many other Small Smiles complaints at the Wichita Eagle, you can read them here.

Dr. Mohammad Akbar, Peublo, CO. in the name of Small Smiles of Wichita Health Care contributed to State Representative Candidate Bob Bethell 2006 Campaign. See Here

Think maybe Mohammad Akbar and Reza Akbar are related or one and the same person?

Ocean Dental Corporate Jet Hanger Under Construction

And so many dentists tell us the government doesn't reimburse them enough to take on children on medicaid.

These guys, like Small Smiles and Kool Smiles have made it the primary business, and business is looking pretty darn good!

Are they strapping down the children to do the work is what I want to know!!

Thanks for the "heads up" anonymous!

photo by: Gary Johnson

I knew something was going to break about these people soon. They visited this site several times a day when this blog first went up. I had never heard of Ocean Dental until I started posting about a local dentist using a papoose board. Then all these medicaid stealing dental clinic started showing up on my blog stats, which in turn got me to looking into why they were so worried I was ticked off about a papoose board!

Reg flags were flew up like a covey of quails!

FORBA - Small Smiles Closing Dentist Office

Newburgh, NY

Six months after a dental office opened in Newburgh to treat the region's most vulnerable, it will close. Small Smiles Dentistry of Newburgh had barely gotten started. The practice treated patients in a blank-faced office complex southwest of Delano-Hitch Park and specialized in treating Medicaid patients 20 years old and younger.

Employees learned the center would close when one of their corporate bosses showed up last week to deliver the news. Staffers knew too few patients had come through the doors, but they had hoped for more time.

Of the 70 Small Smiles offices across the country, Newburgh's will be the first to shut down.

Hopefully they will start to fall like Dominoes! There is always hope!

Michael A. DeRose- Health Care Reform Act Elector

New York State Department of Health

What is it?

This is what is says at the site:

Below is an alphabetical list and Excel Worksheets of organizations that have voluntarily elected to make public goods payments directly to the Department of Healths Pool Administrator. To be included on the list, an organization must have elected in conformance with HCRA provisions and Department requirements. The current list is tentative, conditional upon review and acceptance of the information submitted by the payors on their election applications. This list will be updated monthly.

Effective April 1, 2008

Here is the link to see where he is listed click

I'm not sure what this is, but using the words "conformance" and "Michael A. DeRose" in the same sentence raises my suspicions, what about yours?

The info at the link says:

Effective date (for mikie) is July 2007

Michael A DeRose, DDS, PA

Charlotte, NC

Contact Info is: Ryan Root at (704)395-6000

Congressman Dennis Kucinich Call Small Smiles a Dental Mill

Congressman Dennis Kucinich said Small Smiles?FORBA had found way to make money off poor children by creating dental mills to make a buck while blasting Medicaid for not doing more to improve dental care for children on mediciad.

"Medicaid Officials in Congress [02/14/08]"
-----------------------------------------
Small Smiles - Congress

A year after 12-year -old Deamonte Driver died of tooth decay, Medicaid officials were called before congress in February to explain what they've done to improve access to care for poor children.

Four out of five dentists refuse to treat Medicaid patients because reimbursement rates are so low. The congressman heading up the hearing blasted Medicaid for doing little to improve rates.

He pointed to the I-Team's reports on Small Smiles Dental clinics as an example of what can result.

Congressman Dennis Kucinich said "Small Smiles conceived of another away to make a profit: a
predatory mill where multiple, sometimes unnecessary procedures are imposed assembly line style on children for little regard for their welfare or proper dental practice."

Medicaid officials told congress today they are trying to make more dentists available for poor children, but conceded they have a long way to go.

FORBA hires another PR Firm

It appears FORBA, LLC Dental Management aka Forba Holding, is scrambling to do as much damage control as possible in light of the disturbing allegations with it's Small Smiles Dental Clinics.

They have hired yet another public relations firm, in Nashville, TN. McNeely, Pigott & Fox.

Wonder if they fired Rubin, Meyer or they feel they need as many public relations firms as they can hire.

After Donald Meyer was the person who sent the response to WJLA TV when the I-Team Investigation report came out exposing how Small Smiles Dental Clinics were abusing our children and our medicaid program. You can download that statement here by clicking on Froba Dental Mngt. Statement.

Kiely's Dental Abuse Update 4

Bullhead City Lawyers!

March 4, 2008

What a joke!

I called so many of them and ALL of them TURNED ME DOWN! They either didn’t do anything with kids or they wouldn’t help us because she has “No permanent physical damage.” I even had one guy tell me that “we are a busy and big law firm and since it was just restraints with no physical damage besides the petechiae then we can’t help you and no other law office is going to.” What a dick he was! ugh.

I can’t believe there isn’t ONE lawyer in this area that will help CHILDREN that have been TORTURED and ABUSED!!!!!!! It’s ridiculous! Someone needs to stand up for kids.

Small Smiles-FORBA-DeRose Update From Roberta Baskin, WJLA TV

More Damning Evidence Keep Pouring In to I-Team Investigation.

Don't forget, even though this local investigation mentions Small Smiles, they go under the Name Smile Starters Smile High, Medicaid Dental Centers, FORBA, DeRose Children's Dental Center, Small Smiles Center/Clinic of Pueblo, and others. And if you read below in my previous post, more of these Dental Offices catering to children are jumping on this same bandwagon! Beware!

February 28, 2008

Roberta Baskin, of WJLA TV, broke and continues to follow the Small Smiles Dental Abuse and Fraud Investigation. Here is the transcript of Roberta’s latest installment.

ANCHOR:

RESTRAINING CHILDREN, PERFORMING UNNECESSARY TREATMENTS, HIRING UNLICENSED XRAY TECHNICIANS... THESE ARE ALL EXAMPLES OF THE SUB-STANDARD DENTAL CARE OUR I-TEAM FOUND AT THE SMALL SMILES CLINICS IN THE WASHINGTON DC AREA, AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WE'VE BEEN TELLING YOU HOW THE CHAIN OF CLINICS PLACES PROFIT OVER COMPASSIONATE CARE FOR MEDICAID CHILDREN. NOW ROBERTA BASKIN AND THE I-TEAM HAVE UNCOVERED MORE.... ROBERTA?

ROBERTA BASKIN:

SOME OF YOU WHO SAW OUR EARLIER REPORTS HAVE COME FORWARD WITH NEW EVIDENCE OF THE SMALL SMILES SCHEME TO BILL THE TAXPAYER-SUPPORTED MEDICAID PROGRAM FOR WORK THAT WASN'T NEEDED - OR WASN'T EVEN DONE.

STORY: Six year old Kayla Mason brushes her teeth day and night.



She's never had any cavities. That's why her mother, LaTasha Mason, was dismayed when dentists at Small Smiles in Oxon Hills said they found THREE.

LaTasha Mason-"I was like, oh my goodness, I was surprised, I really was. And they were like, well, the lady that called me back, she was like, well that's nothing compared to what we usually see."

She then had Kayla examined by a different dentist.

Mason-" And she gets up to leave and I'm like , well, what about the cavities?"

Turns out, there weren't any.

Mason-"I was really astonished, to say the least."

Mason is upset Small Smiles planned to drill into her daughter's teeth for no other reason than to profit from it.

Mason- "It's, it's just sickening." "(that's) the only thing I can think of, why they would want to drill in these baby's mouths, is for money."

Particularly upsetting is her feeling that Small Smiles lied to her.

Mason- "One maybe, that could have been an honest mistake. But three? Absolutely not. Three is not a mistake, I'm sorry."

And when this family went to Small Smiles for a check-up, dentists saw four girls - and apparently 24 cavities.

Cheryl -" I felt like a bad mother." Cheryl assumed her children hadn't been brushing.

Roberta -"Were you in trouble?"

Rachelle -"Yes"

Cheryl -"I told them all of their teeth were going to fall out if they don't listen to me and brush their teeth. I called them "yuck mouths."

Roberta -"Yuck mouths?

Cheryl-"Yuck mouths."
Most of the work was completed, except on Rachel, who was told to come back for several more fillings. In the meantime, Rachel's mom heard about our Small Smiles investigation, and switched to Dr. Robert Camps.

Dr. Robert Camps - "I'm glad it wasn't done, because it shouldn't have been done. Roberta -"Four fillings that she would have gotten on teeth that are perfectly fine."

Dr. Camps -"Correct."

And that's not all. When Dr. Camps examined Rachel and her sister Rebecca, he realized - Small Smiles didn't DO all the work they charged for.

Rebecca's chart shows 8 cavities filled…but that's not what she remembered. "I didn't see any drill or hear any drill.

Roberta -Did they numb you?

Rebecca -"I didn't feel a numbing (or anything)."

And Dr. Robert Camps didn't see the work either. "these are not fillings." "I feel like they did more like a sealant, (where they didn't really drill into the tooth)." To be sure, Dr. Camp took x-rays.

Plea from I-Team, asking the public to keep the stories coming I, please help I-Team help the children. You are the eyes and ears! click here

ABC 7, WJLA TV is in the Washington, DC area, so all of our law makers watch this news.

Report by phone at 703-236-9559

Update 2 and 3 Kiely and Dr. Mike Kort-Kids Little Smiles

February 29, 2008 (Update 3)

We called the police last night and filed a report. The officer said to get a lawyer and go to the dental board because they can do more damage then he could. I already had the papers to file a formal complaint with the dental association board. I’ll be filling that out today. I will keep my blog updated with any and all progress!

Read more here along with comments:

February 28, 2008 (Update 2)

So my dad and I went to the dentist office at 11 to talk to Dr. Kort. He said that Kiely was really worked up so they had to restrain her by having 2 nurses hold her down but otherwise she did really well. So we talked about the petechia a bit and he said it’s from her “fussing” during the procedure. Then we asked about the “blue jacket” [Kie’s words] and told him that she has brought it up 3-4 times now and she’s sticking to her story. So he fessed up that they had to use restraints on her [called a popuse]. I told him that I never gave consent to restrain her. He said that the nurse wrote it down that it was ok so he did. I told him again that it was NEVER mentioned to me and that I would NEVER consent to anyone restraining my kid! My mom was with me yday when I asked them what was going to happen and not ONCE did she mention restraints of any kind. He said that it could’ve been mentioned about wrapping them or something and I again told him NO, nothing like that was mentioned to me! My mom verifies it was not mentioned. He told me that they use the popuse to protect the kids while he works since he has needles and drills going he doesn’t want them to get hurt. I feel that there is a better way then restraining a child w/o the parents consent! At least let the parents try to calm the child. Then I told him that I did not appreciate his staff writing me off and ignoring my concerns. Telling me that the petechia was a latex allergy and then taking her in the back and coming back saying that he told her it was just a latex allergy. And then to ignore my concerns when it got worse an hour later. He told me that he was sorry that I felt that I was written off and that we had such a bad experience and I was free to take her somewhere else. He also said that he knew it wasn’t a latex allergy because it was only around her eyes.
I feel that he has no idea what he’s talking about. His staff lied to both of us or at least me. And it’s just wrong.