Small Smiles, a network of dental offices, will open a new branch today in Manassas. This might seem like an ordinary announcement, but Small Smiles’ target market — in fact, its only market — is the 40 million children enrolled in Medicaid or SCHIP, the State Children’s Health InsuranceProgram.
While most dentists are reluctant to take these patients because they don’t get fully reimbursed for their services, Small Smiles has embraced these patients and turned a profit with a unique business model.
The company is “more missions driven than financially driven,” dedicated to serving children eligible for dental services under Medicaid and SCHIP, said Todd Cruse, senior vice president of development for FORBA LLC, which owns Small Smiles.
Nashville, Tenn.-based FORBA, which stands for “For Better Access,” has 57 offices, including the Manassas location, in 19 states, with more than 200 dentists working in the practices. Small Smiles offices exist in the District, on Georgia Avenue, and in Langley Park, and an office in Oxen Hill is set to open in October.
With four dentists and 16 dental chairs in each office, Small Smiles offices also are larger than most dental offices, which typically are single-practitioner firms. This is done purposely, to be able to recover from the high rate of broken appointments by Medicaid patients, which can be greater than 40 percent, Cruse said.
Small Smiles cuts down on costs, too, because with 57 offices, it has significant buying and purchasing power for equipment and machinery.
Demand is difficult to keep up with, the company says, as more than 500 appointments already have been booked for the Manassas office. The D.C. office usually sees 60 to 90 patients a day, said Dr. Aldred Williams, the lead dentist in the D.C. and Langley offices.
While cost-efficiency is part of the model, sacrifice in quality is not, said Cruse, adding that Small Smiles offers competitive salaries and services on par with other dental providers.
