Thursday, March 08, 2012

Confused about the “Dental Crisis” here in the U.S.

There is little doubt I am completely confused as to the so called “Dental Crisis” here is the U.S. 

I am not understanding why the Pew Institute or any other “institute” wastes time and money on access to care and certainly no one is wasting their time on studying access to quality care.

For the primary teeth we are lucky enough to be born with, corporations want to “drill ‘em, fill ‘em, cap ‘em and bill ‘em. They stress the importance of early treatment of caries and developing good hygiene habits so you can keep your natural teeth for the rest of your life.  Hell, the AAPD is now recommending you get your infant to the dentist at age 6 months or when the first tooth erupts, even if in-utero I suppose.

Why? 

The clinics down the street, such as Aspen, Affordable Dentures and the like, what to pull every last tooth in your head and slap in some cheap ass dentures.

What’s the whole point?

It’s not about proper medical treatment, it’s about Sales!

See – The below is from Aspen Dental.

RockWaterSand

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see about, it’s about the “prize”, it’s about highest possible sale comes first, it’s about “hey, office manager, even if the patient says they are not interested in the “treatment” plan, get the doctor or hygienist first so they can “re-stress” the sale, it’s not about medical care.

Below you’ll see a note.  These notes are attached to each file reviewed (audited)by regional operations managers at Aspen clinics. Read this carefully, Aspen was NOT concerned about the medical care the patient needed, only the commitment to a sale. 

Ocean Dental gets a D- from the BBB

image

Ocean Dental, headquartered in Stillwater, Oklahoma is not receiving very good reviews. In fact the Better Business Bureau is giving it a D-.

www.bbb.org 2012-3-8 11-12-20

Over on Topix there was a thread started in 2009 when a parent complained and told what happened to her child at an Ocean Dental in Arkansas. Here

No wonder so few parents speak up about the terrible experiences that happen to their children at these dental mills. This was was literally attacked! One person even said, that if they were bad, they wouldn’t be in business. 

Lord, it must be nice to live in land of Oz.! Last I checked the “waterboarding” dentist, Megann Scott worked at one of their OK clinics.

Guardian Angel "Raven's Song" has gone viral

The song was produced in honor of Raven Maria Blanco who died because of an ill-prepared dentist and staff sedating children in his office – Dr. Michael Hechtkopf.

The five year anniversary of Raven's death is Friday, March 9th 2012. The video has received nearly 400,000 hits in the last few days.  You can purchase the song on itunes.  Proceeds go to purchase AED's-Automatic External Defibrillators which are donated to dental offices across the county. Put there to save a child!  Please consider purchasing Raven's Song.

This week major news outlets have all but promoted sedation dentistry for children. Not a word was mentioned about the 19 deaths of children due to sedation complications that has taken place since Raven’s death 5 years ago.

Tuesday, March 06, 2012

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. 

NYT fell for the bullshit - Rise in Preschool Cavities Prompts Anesthesia Use

Rise in Preschool Cavities Prompts Anesthesia Use - NYTimes.com – Pure bullshit!

This is RIDICULOUS!

Front page? 

Imagine, the story comes out of Seattle!  DOCS Education’s home town!

The story quotes:

"Dr. Megann Smiley, a dentist-anesthesiologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio"  SURPRISE! - Home of one of Small  Smiles advisory board members and former/current office of the corrupt AAPD -Paul Cassamassmino .

The NYT is playing with the lives of children, shameful!!

Another great quote:

“We have had a huge increase in kids going to the operating room,” said Dr. Jonathan Shenkin, a pediatric dentist in Augusta, Me., and a spokesman for the American Dental Association. “We’re treating more kids more aggressively earlier.”

No shit, Sherlock!  That’s why Texas is going broke, from the over aggressive fraud being committed!  At least you admitted it, Dr. Shenkin!

You gotta love the last line:

"Multiple studies have shown that even children who undergo general anesthesia to treat dental decay end up with cavities again. Janine Costantini, the ambulatory practice director at Children’s Hospital Colorado, said the staff treated a 3-year-old who was making his second visit to the operating room for dental work. The boy arrived with a bottle of Coca-Cola. " 

Yes, the exact same hospital where Randall Ellis of Small Smiles fame resides, as well as where Small Smiles Founder, William Mueller was head of the department!  Oh and let's not forget, that Coca Cola he probably got it at pre-school...  After all it was Small Smiles other founder, Dan DeRose who made that happen for the kiddies. 

It’s a shame the powers that be don’t pay attention to these Pew studies.  They are 3 years old or more before they release them! Half the report quoted stuff from 2007!  It’s 2012 people!!! 

Funny the title is The Cost of Delay” since the data in it is so friggin “delayed” !!

Me..  FURIOUS!!  Not good!

Not good at all!

The sharia-compliant group, Arcapita Bank, who is heavily invested in Small Smiles Dental Centers, is facing $1bn toothache.

Last updated: February 27, 2012 8:31 am

Bahrain’s Arcapita faces debt challenge
By Simeon Kerr in Dubai and Camilla Hall in Abu Dhabi

Bahrain-based private equity investor Arcapita Bank is facing a potentially painful debt workout as it mandates advisers ahead of the March deadline for the Manama-based group to repay $1.1bn of loans.

Privately-held Arcapita, which declined to comment, owns a broad portfolio of companies in the US and Europe, including UK rail cargo company Freightliner, Irish utilities group Viridian and US women’s apparel retailer J Jill.

Read more about Arcapita’s troubls here

Blog visits so far this week

Visitors of this blog use a variety of keyword and search terms to arrive here. Some truly make me laugh out loud, others send chills down my spine, while others are just odd. But many lead me to look for more information on the subject.
In the past 3 days, these are a few I picked out:

1. Why is South Texas Dental such a shitty dental practice
southtexasdentalsucks







2. Western dental centers quality of care decisions California state dental board death in chair
westerndentalQoC



 



3. Rules about soliciting new medicaid patients
solicitation






4. Advertise on dentist the menace blog  (BTW – Not interested, not gonna happen, no way)advertiseondtm






5. Arcapita bank load payment (BTW- it’s 1 billion I believe and they don’t have it)arcaptiabankloan






6. Dental group practice private equity backed in texas
pebackeddentistry






7. Undercover police close illegal dental offices in atlanta
undercover






8. Death child dentist North Carolina
childdeathnorthcarolina






9. 1 800 dentist attorney susan (BTW-it’s Susan Keenberg)
1800dentistattorneysusan






10. Heartland dental care airplane tail number
heartlanddentaltailnumber


Monday, March 05, 2012

Galdi v Megdal and Bright Now! Dental

Anyone know what this is about:

Case No: United States of America Cr-02-00349CAS
Case No YCO30202: Galdi vs. Megdal

Mimi Villegas Galdi

vs.

Bright Dental Now! Phillip Megdal,
Jordan Moss,
Katrina Mejia-Blom,
Dale Blom
City of Redondo Beach
State of California
United States of America.

Read the story here
More on it here.

It appears this Dr. Philip Megdal was the same dentist accused of negligence in the death of 4 year old Javier Villa, Jr. in 1998

More on Javier’s death.

Consumer Dental bought the Megdal clinics after Javier’s death

Sunday, March 04, 2012

JLL Partners Completes Acquisition of American Dental Partners–February 9, 2012

 

American Dental Partners Launches Syndication of Senior Secured Facilities

Details
Published on Wednesday, 18 January 2012 15:16 
Trader Huddle
WAKEFIELD, Mass., Jan. 18, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American Dental Partners, Inc. ("American Dental Partners" or the "Company") today announced that it has launched the syndication of $241 million of senior secured facilities ("Senior Secured Facilities"), consisting of a $36 million revolving facility and a $205 million term loan. The proceeds from the Senior Secured Facilities, together with equity from JLL Partners Fund VI, L.P. and certain other investors, are being used to finance the acquisition of American Dental Partners and to pay certain fees and expenses.
KeyBank National Association ("KeyBank"), CIT Capital Securities ("CITCS") and NXT Capital, LLC ("NXT") will act as joint bookrunning managers of the debt financing.
This press release does not constitute an offer to purchase any securities or a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities.




American Dental Partners Stockholders Approve Merger Agreement

Details
Published on Tuesday, 07 February 2012 15:15
Trader Huddle

WAKEFIELD, Mass., Feb. 7, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American Dental Partners, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADPI) announced that at a special meeting of stockholders held earlier today stockholders voted to adopt the previously announced merger agreement with JLL Crown Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and JLL Crown Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation, affiliates of JLL Partners, Inc. Under the terms of the merger agreement, upon consummation of the merger, holders of outstanding shares of common stock of American Dental Partners will receive $19.00 per share in cash.
At the meeting, the merger was approved by holders of 12,496,939 shares of the Company's outstanding common stock, and 3,702 shares voted against the merger.


 

JLL Partners Acquisition of American Dental Partners Creates Committed Partnership

February 09, 2012
Trader Huddle
On February 9, 2012, JLL Partners, Inc. completed its acquisition of American Dental Partners, Inc. American Dental Partners is now privately held and no longer listed on NASDAQ.
The deal creates a partnership committed to American Dental Partners’ core values and goals as well as a dedication to quality care and a long-term outlook. Both organizations will pursue a shared vision and work to enhance growth of American Dental Partners.
American Dental Partners will continue to be headquartered in Wakefield, Mass., and is one of the nation’s leading business partners to dental group practices. American Dental Partners is affiliated with more than two dozen dental group practices in more than twenty states across the country.
JLL Partners is a New York-based, leading private equity investment firm. Their investment philosophy is to partner with outstanding management teams and invest with them in companies that can continue to grow into market leaders. JLL Partners has a special focus on healthcare services in addition to financial and business services. More information on JLL Partners (Joseph, Littlejohn, & Levy)is available at www.jllpartners.com.
 

American Dental Partners “Affiliates”


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Gotta love ADPI’s as for “Specialist