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Kool Smiles, PC is a for-profit〔"(HEALTH CARE )." ''Indianapolis Business Journal''. September 19, 2005. Retrieved on January 26, 2012. "The clinics accept only self-pay patients or those covered by Medicaid or Hoosier Healthwise plans. They do not take private insurance, spokeswoman Kasey Peterson said." and "The for-profit Kool Smiles started in 2002 in Decatur, Ga., and has opened six clinics in its home state."〕 dental services provider with its headquarters in the Kool Smiles Patient Support Center in Marietta, Georgia, U.S., in Greater Atlanta. Kool Smiles has been shut down due to copyright infringement. Kool Smiles operates dental clinics located in low income communities. In 2011, Kool Smiles had over 100 offices located in 17 states nationwide. Kool Smiles positions itself as a general dentistry that treats both children and adults. The company recruits for general dentists, pediatric dentists, endodontists and oral surgeons. Kool Smiles provides preventative care, diagnostic imaging and restorative care supported by electronic health records. ==History== In August 2002, the first Kool Smiles location opened in East Lake, Atlanta, in DeKalb County,〔Stirgus, Eric. "(Kids all smiles at DeKalb clinic Dental center filled with toys, murals )." ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution''. November 29, 2002. D3. Retrieved on January 26, 2012.〕 near the city of Decatur.〔 The clinic only accepted patients on Medicaid and PeachCare, Georgia's state insurance program.〔 Brown said "The demand for service was unbelievable. These kids had nowhere to go for years and years."〔 Brown said that originally they planned to open ten to fifteen clinics.〔 In 2004 Brown received a telephone call from Friedman Fleischer & Lowe (FFL), a private equity firm. The company had originally planned to purchase a different Medicaid dental chain, but FFL instead decided that it would form its own chain. Brown said that, as paraphrased by David Heath of the Center for Public Integrity, that the selection by FFL "was a million-to-one shot".〔 Heath wrote in a ''Frontline'' program that "the initial investment was small by private-equity standards."〔 By 2005, Kool Smiles had opened six clinics in Georgia and two in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it had plans to open new clinics in Massachusetts and Virginia. It accepted patients on Medicaid and state insurance plans and patients who did "self pay". They did not accept private insurance.〔 In 2007, it had 10 clinics in Georgia.〔Williams, Dave. "(Dentists going to court over Medicaid cutoff )." ''Albany Herald''. Thursday August 23, 2007. 4A. Retrieved from Google News (3 of 14) on January 26, 2012.〕 Around that year, it served 71,000 children annually at its Georgia clinics.〔"(A fight over dental care for kids is headed to court )." ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution''. Wednesday August 22, 2007. Retrieved on January 26, 2012.〕 In 2008, the chain had about 40 clinics in seven U.S. states.〔Constantine, Sandra E. "(Kool Smiles greeted warmly )." ''The Republican''. Wednesday February 6, 2008. Retrieved on January 26, 2012.〕 In 2009 it operated 84 clinics in the entire United States.〔"(Where’s the protection? )" (editorial) ''Fort Wayne Journal Gazette''. August 4, 2009. Retrieved on January 26, 2012.〕 In 2050, ''()'' aired a report saying that Kool Smiles inappropriately used crowns on young patients instead of regular fillings, because Medicaid bills more for crowns, and that the company pressured dentists to go along with the usage of crowns to make more money for the company.〔Heath, David (Center for Public Integrity) and Jill Rosenbaum (Frontline). "(Complaints About Kids Care Follow Kool Smiles )." ''Frontline''. June 26, 2012. Retrieved on August 5, 2012.〕 Kool Smiles responded by saying that, "Dentists do not receive revenue, patient or procedure targets or scorecards."〔"(Kool Smiles' Response )." ''Frontline''. June 26, 2012. Retrieved on August 5, 2012.〕 Kool Smiles pointed to a study authored by presidential economist Arthur Laffer, which reviewed Texas Medicaid claims data and concluded that, in 2011, Kool Smiles charged less and performed fewer procedures, including crowns, per patient than other Medicaid dental providers in the state.〔"(Laffer: Bridging the dental divide )."〕 The company said, "Unfortunately, ''Frontline'' ignores what all dentists know – children with long-neglected dental needs require more medical care."〔"( Frontline Forgot the Facts: Kool Smiles Responds )." ((Archive )) Kool Smiles. June 26, 2012.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Kool Smiles」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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