COLUMBUS — FORBA Holdings LLC, a management company for a chain of pediatric dental clinics, including local Small Smiles clinics, will pay Ohio $2.29 million to settle accusations that the company submitted claims for reimbursement to Medicaid for medically unnecessary dental procedures. The total settlement is for $24 million to the federal government and 23 states, including Ohio, state Attorney General Richard Cordray said Wednesday, Jan. 20.

Government investigators said the dental centers performed unnecessary procedures including extractions, root canals, fillings and crowns and inappropriately used behavior management techniques to restrain child patients.

FORBA provided business management services for the dental clinics which operated in 23 states. In Ohio, the clinics operated under the name Small Smiles with locations in Dayton, Akron, Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo and Youngstown.

FORBA is to pay the settlement over five years. The company also has entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ inspector general to put in place policies to ensure that the Small Smiles clinics provide services consistent with professionally recognized standards of care, and to promptly detect inappropriate conduct or medically unnecessary procedures.

The investigation was initiated by three whistleblower lawsuits that are pending in U.S. District courts in Maryland, Virginia and South Carolina, Cordray said.

FORBA issued this statement: “This comprehensive resolution encourages us to continue to focus on vital, high-quality dental care for children in America’s low-income communities, and allows us to build on the improvements implemented since the company was acquired in September 2006.”