Aspen Dental

History

Early history

Aspen Dental was founded in 1998 in East Syracuse, NY as the result of a merger between East Coast Dental, founded by Robert Fontana, and Upstate Dental, which Fontana had previously left in 1997.{{Cite news| last = Mulder| first = James| title = Revolution In Dentistry: N. Syracuse Company Pioneers Chain-Store Techniques| url=https://newspaperarchive.com/syracuse-post-standard-jul-16-2000-p-17/|work = The Post-Standard| quote = Aspen, originally known as Upstate Dental, was founded in 1981 by Richard Adolfi of Rome, who opened his first office in Northern Lights shopping center in North Syracuse. After graduating from SUNY Potsdam in 1990, Fontana went to work for Upstate Dental as a manager and helped the company open three new offices in Connecticut. Fontana left Upstate Dental to start his own dental practice management company in New England. It was called East Coast Dental and had two locations in Massachusetts and one in Rhode Island. A group of investors from Boston bought Upstate and East Coast in 1997, combined them and renamed the merged company Aspen Dental. They brought Fontana back to Syracuse to run it.

By 2000, Aspen Dental had expanded to 33 locations in New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.

2006 to present

In 2006, private equity firm Ares Management acquired Aspen Dental for an undisclosed amount. At the time of the acquisition, Aspen Dental operated 87 locations across seven states.

In 2010, Leonard Green & Partners purchased Aspen Dental from Ares Management for about $500 million. By August 2010, private equity firms were bidding on Aspen Dental and Kool Smiles, the two largest national chains of dental offices in the United States.

Between October 2010 and July 2015, Aspen settled with state consumer protection authorities in Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts and agreed to pay reimbursements to former patients and financial contributions to consumer protection probes in those states without admitting fault or wrongdoing.

In June 2012, a PBS series entitled Dollars and Dentists produced by Frontline in partnership with the Center for Public Integrity described Aspen Dental's business model as one where dental services are advertised at steep discounts, but where patients were subsequently overcharged or given unnecessary treatments.

In 2015, the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York dismissed a class-action lawsuit accusing the company of illegally owning dental practices and deceiving patients. The lawsuit accused Aspen of violating laws in 22 states which allow only dentists to own a dental practice.

In 2015, an affiliate of private equity firm American Securities led the recapitalization of Aspen Dental Management Inc. in partnership with Ares Management, Leonard Green & Partners and the existing management team.

In December 2020, lawsuits were filed against Aspen for negligence after an employee allegedly hid cameras in the office washroom at a practice in Illinois.

In October 2021, Aspen Dental moved its headquarters to an office in Chicago's Fulton Market District.

In May 2022, a lawsuit was filed against Aspen dental for the death of Sandra Heath who reportedly died while under anesthesia at Cedar Park Aspen Dental office. The lawsuit was settled out of court in January 2023.

Operations

Aspen Dental Management Inc. operates as a dental support organization and provides marketing, operations, and training support services to the Aspen Dental-branded practices. Aspen Dental practices are all independently owned by licensed dentists. The Aspen Group (TAG) is the parent company of Aspen Dental.

In 2014, Aspen Dental launched the Healthy Mouth Movement, offering veterans free dental care. As of 2019, the company had provided free dental services to more than 22,000 veterans and people in need through the volunteer effort. In 2022, the company opened a free dental clinic called the TAG Oral Care Center for Excellence in Chicago's West Loop. The clinic provides free dental services, including extractions and implants, to low income Illinois residents who don't have insurance or who are eligible for coverage through Medicaid. It is staffed by dentists from Aspen Dental clinics across the US, who receive professional development and clinical training while assisting with patients at the clinic.

Aspen Dental's services are aimed at individuals who may not have regular access to dental services. Many Aspen Dental practices are located in regions with a need for dental providers known as dental deserts.

References

References

1. "About Aspen Dental: Our Story".
2. Davis, Katherine. (February 25, 2022). "Big expansion plans for this health care management firm". Crain's Chicago Business.
3. Schnecker, Lisa. (February 28, 2022). "New Chicago clinic will offer free dental care to 2,500 Illinois residents a year – Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune.
4. Davis, Katherine. (February 25, 2022). "Big expansion plans for this health care management firm". Crain's Chicago Business.
5. Mulder, James. (July 16, 2000). "Revolution In Dentistry: N. Syracuse Company Pioneers Chain-Store Techniques". The Post-Standard.
6. (May 27, 2010). "Ares puts Aspen Dental on the block: sources". Reuters.
7. Turkel, Tux. (June 27, 2006). "Dental chain sets up office in Maine; Longtime dentists in the Portland area question whether Aspen Dental's business model will be a good match for the market.". Portland Press Herald.
8. Beltran, Luisa. (August 18, 2010). "Leonard Green Sinks Teeth into Aspen Dental". PE Hub Network.
9. Kosman, Josh. (August 27, 2010). "Private-equity firms sink teeth into dentistry". New York Post.
10. Matt Miller. (October 14, 2010). "Aspen Dental pays $175,000 to settle customer complaints". PennLive.Com.
11. (October 13, 2010). "Attorney General Corbett announces $175,000 consumer settlement with Aspen Dental". Pennsylvania Attorney General.
12. (June 26, 2012). "Dollars and Dentists".
13. (June 26, 2012). "Patients, Pressure and Profits at Aspen Dental". Frontline.
14. (June 26, 2012). "Dollars and Dentists: Corporate dental chains see big profits in adults who can't afford care: How low-income adults get locked into debt for dental treatment". Center for Public Integrity.
15. Silver-Greenberg, Jessica. (October 14, 2013). "A Vulnerable Age: Patients Mired in Costly Credit From Doctors". [[The New York Times]].
16. (June 2013). "Joint Staff Report on the Corporate Practice of Dentistry in the Medicaid Program". [[United States Senate Committee on Finance]].
17. (May 19, 2015). "Aspen Dental Lawsuit Dismissed by US District Court". New York Dental Association ([[American Dental Association]]).
18. Heath, David. (October 19, 2012). "Aspen Dental Facing Class-Action Lawsuit". PBS.
19. (March 24, 2015). "American Securities Leads Recapitalization of Aspen Dental". The Wall Street Journal.
20. DeGregory, Priscilla. (12 December 2020). "Workers sue Illinois dental practice over hidden cameras found in bathroom".
21. Schnecker, Lisa. (February 28, 2022). "New Chicago clinic will offer free dental care to 2,500 Illinois residents a year – Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune.
22. (2024-05-15). "6 Fix Update {{!}} 6 News looks into settled Aspen Dental lawsuits".
23. Schnecker, Lisa. (February 28, 2022). "New Chicago clinic will offer free dental care to 2,500 Illinois residents a year – Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune.
24. Jackson, Brittney L.. (May 11, 2018). "Aspen Dental to offer free dental service to veterans". The Jackson Sun.
25. (May 3, 2019). "Iowa veterans can sign up for free dental care in June". The Des Moines Register.
26. Asplund, Jon. (July 29, 2022). "Crain's Health Pulse: Opioid deaths will keep rising quickly • Baxter sales grow, but less than expectations • City re-ups deal with health care workforce group". Crain's Chicago Business.
27. Ponder, Jamaica. (July 12, 2024). "Dental group in Chicago's West Loop aims to make oral care more accessible". CBS.
28. Duffett, Claire. (December 16, 2005). "Aspen Dental building new headquarters". The Business Journal - Central New York.
29. Parks, Jennifer. (October 14, 2016). "Aspen Dental comes to Albany to provide relief to 'dental desert'". Albany Herald.