Coast Dental Services Inc, Tampa, Fla, will acquire the assets of Dental Technology Inc (DTI), doing business as SmileCare, Santa Ana, Calif, and Community Dental Services Inc, a California-licensed health care service plan. DTI and its subsidiaries operate 57 SmileCare dental practices in California, Nevada, and Texas. The company has 1,200 staff members, including 130 dentists.

The transaction is expected to close upon final approval by the California Department of Managed Health Care.

Coast Dental is a dental-care provider in the southeast and operates 125 dental practices in Florida and Georgia. The addition of SmileCare will make Coast Dental the fifth-largest dental provider in the United States, with 182 affiliated practices and 2,200 employees. All SmileCare dental centers will continue to operate under the SmileCare brand name.

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