Helping kids say (and eat) “Cheese!”
As I flipped through the March 2007 issue of Fast Company while sipping a cup o’ joe, I was taken a back after reading a piece on dental services for kids. Not just because of what I learned, but, you know, you don’t expect to read about teeth in a business magazine. But there is was, and here it is:
More than 20% of U.S. kids under the age of 19 — that’s 17 million — never see a dentist. Most qualify for free or very low-cost dental care. They just can’t find a dentist who accepts Medicaid or state insurance.
Thankfully, there are two fast-growing companies ready to handle this problem: 50 Small Smiles and Kool Smiles. (I really want to believe that the latter got its name from Kool & the Gang.) Each company specializes “in dentistry only for kids who qualify for government insurance.” And the plan seems to be working.
According to the Roanoke Times, the Small Smiles in that city had 2,100 patients booked before it even opened its doors. Small Smiles has locations in 46 cities (and hopes to “serve 2 million kids a year by 2012″), and Kool Smiles has 31 sites up and running. The Kool Smiles sites are designed with children in mind, offering waiting rooms filled with toys and play area.
Both companies provide low-income children quality health care and treatment, as well as an education about better dental hygiene. This is important for long-term health. According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, “severe periodontal disease…has been correlated with heart disease, stroke, less manageable diabetes, and respiratory diseases such as pneumonia, bronchitis and emphysema.”
You might think that because these businesses cater to poor kids that the quality of dentists would necessarily be lower. Not so. Some dentists are closing their private practices to sign up.
These business models teach us a powerful lesson — capitalism and progressivism aren’t mutually exclusive, in fact, they’re increasingly inclusive.
Make this your homepage 
Add this to your favorites
Comments are currently closed.