Small Smiles Responds to ABC's Investigation

Nov. 7, 2007 — -- Michael Lindley, the chairman and CEO of Forba, which owns the Small Smiles dental clinic, responded to ABC News' investigation into Small Smiles' patient practices. You can read Lindley's response, as well as Forba's statement, below.

Nov. 7, 2007

STATEMENT BY FORBA CEO REGARDING WJLA NEWS STORY

For over 40 years Small Smiles has been committed to serving a large and underserved population. In just the last year we served over 400,000 children and received less than 50 complaints, or 0.01 percent.

We take very seriously ANY allegations which call into question our commitment to deliver quality care. On October 3, we launched an internal investigation into the allegations at the Langley Park, MD and Washington D.C. centers. The story does not accurately reflect the facts and our responsible approach to patient care.

Michael Lindley

Chairman and CEO, Forba

November 7, 2007

Our Company's Values – and the Facts:

For over 40 years Small Smiles has been committed to serving a large and underserved population. The network of affiliated dental centers has grown from one location to 63 in 18 states and the District of Columbia. The network of affiliated centers is staffed by over 250 compassionate dentists representing some of the most prestigious dental schools in the United States.

Together, we have served millions of patients and in just the last year alone, over 400,000 with less than 50 patient concerns raised or only 0.01 percent of our case files. We are proud of our service and take pride in serving children of all ages who may not otherwise be able to get dental care because they are on Medicaid or SCHIP and providers can be difficult to locate.

Against this backdrop, we were excited by the prospect of a balanced interview with a local ABC News affiliate in Washington, D.C. – and thus gave WJLA unrestricted access to our dental centers, staff, statistical information and parents willing to discuss the challenges they face every day in finding high quality dental care.

The reports that emerged were beyond disappointing. They were shocking and twisted the facts with alarming footage that does not tell the whole story -

We do work with our centers to help patients minimize their scheduling and transportation challenges. The opportunity to perform hygiene services and restorative work in the same visit helps parents get the services they need for their children. With our centers experiencing an overall broken appointment rate of close to 50%, it also means the child is much more likely to get the necessary treatment completed if it is accomplished in one visit.

We take very seriously ANY allegations which call into question our commitment to deliver quality care. That is why we are taking such extraordinary steps to share with you our values, our commitments and to do so in as transparent a way as possible.Every Small Smiles Dental Center has a compassionate staff with the same goal in mind – to give America's kids the smiles they deserve.