OFFOR Health rebrands as SmileMD and expands into North Carolina

Pediatric dental anesthesia provider OFFOR Health is now operating under the SmileMD name and began serving patients in North Carolina in late August. The move unifies the brand across six states as the company pushes care into dental offices instead of hospital operating rooms.

Why it matters: - SmileMD says the rebrand and expansion make it easier for dental practices, anesthesiologists and families to understand the company’s offering. - The model is designed to move children who need general anesthesia out of hospital operating room queues and into dental offices, which can shorten waits from months to weeks.

What happened: - OFFOR Health announced it is now operating under one name: SmileMD. - The company said it began serving patients in North Carolina in late August. - SmileMD now serves partner practices in Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

The details: - SmileMD brings general anesthesia into dental offices so children can receive comprehensive dental treatment without waiting for hospital operating room time. - The company was founded in 2014. - SmileMD is accredited by AAAHC. - The company has more than 170 employees, including 99 clinicians. - SmileMD has served more than 70,000 patients. - CEO Gary Schafer said operating under one name makes it simpler for practices and recruiting anesthesiologists to understand the company. - Chief Medical Officer Dr. Brian Schloss said the name is changing, but the care teams, protocols and equipment are not. - SmileMD says its model was built to high anesthesia standards and confirmed through accreditation. - The company directs readers to more information.

Between the lines: - The rebrand signals a shift from multiple names to one national identity, which can reduce confusion in a specialized care model. - The North Carolina launch suggests SmileMD is still in expansion mode while keeping the same in-office anesthesia approach. - The emphasis on accreditation and unchanged clinical protocols appears aimed at reassuring dentists who may be cautious about anesthesia in office settings.

What's next: - SmileMD will continue operating under its single brand across its current state footprint. - The company is positioning itself to recruit more anesthesiologists and work with additional dental practices under the unified name. - Families in North Carolina now have access to the company’s in-office anesthesia model alongside patients in the other five states.