When Dr. Frederick Ballard began practicing pediatric dentistry in South Jersey, he saw firsthand how limited and uneven access to care could be for families. When care was available, the experience could feel rushed, impersonal or stressful, especially for young children and families with special needs. He chose a kinder, friendlier and more fun approach.
Founded in 2015, Kool Koala Pediatric and Adolescent Dentistry welcomes children and their parents from the moment they walk through the door. The goal was simple but deliberate: design a practice where children feel comfortable, parents feel confident, and care is delivered with patience and consistency.
“We wanted to build a place where both parents and kids could feel at ease,” Dr. Ballard said. “Not just clinically but emotionally.”
Turning a child-centered idea into a scalable practice
The name “Kool Koala” came later, during a family conversation about how a dental practice should make kids feel. Dr. Ballard’s original idea for a name was quite literal while his young daughter wanted something more fun, approachable and unmistakably child-centered. Her instincts led to the name and a koala bear mascot that helped set her father’s dental practice apart from others and on the road to growth.
What started as a single location has expanded to six practices across New Jersey and Delaware, serving families in areas where pediatric dental access had often fallen short. Along the way, Dr. Ballard focused on assembling an in-house team of pediatric dentists, strengthening referral relationships with specialists, and creating a model for treating children with high anxiety, individual challenges or complex treatment plans.
As his Kool Koala dental practice expanded, its financial setup struggled to keep pace. Multiple bank relationships and accounts made bookkeeping cumbersome and reduced visibility across the business. It became an ever more pressing issue as Kool Koala prepared for its next stage of growth.
“We reached a point where our business had outgrown our financial setup,” Dr. Ballard said. “If we wanted to keep expanding, we needed a better financing structure.”
Bringing financial structure and clarity to a growing practice
While Kool Koala had long banked with TD, Dr. Ballard turned to Relationship Manager Desiree Martins and the broader TD team to consolidate accounts, simplify cash flow, and build a clearer financial foundation across the organization.
Working with Desiree and her TD team, Dr. Ballard began consolidating accounts, simplifying cash flow and creating a clearer financial foundation across the organization. He opened small business checking and money market accounts, plus merchant services.
“TD helped us rethink how we bank,” he said. “Once everything was consolidated, we finally had a much clearer picture of our business.”
Beyond account consolidation, TD has supported Kool Koala with treasury management tools, remote deposit capabilities and fraud prevention services designed for healthcare practices. Those protections were especially important for a growing, multi-location operation that depends on timely insurance payments and uninterrupted cash flow.
“In healthcare, protecting your accounts is critical,” Desiree said. “Putting safeguards in place early helps ensure Dr. Ballard’s different practices and overall business can keep operating smoothly as they all grow.”
Building confidence for the next phase
With a stronger financial structure in place, Dr. Ballard and his leadership team were able to shift their focus away from managing complexity and toward planning what comes next.
One upcoming initiative is a preventive care clinic in Camden, New Jersey, aimed at improving early access to dental care for both children and adults. Kool Koala also remains closely connected to its communities through Head Start partnerships, youth sports sponsorships and local outreach programs.
“Access to care changes lives,” Dr. Ballard said. “If we can reach kids early, reduce fear and help families understand the importance of dental health, we’re doing something meaningful.”
That philosophy carries through the organization. Dr. Ballard places a strong emphasis on mentoring young dentists, supporting staff development, and building a culture grounded in teamwork and shared responsibility.
“Success for me now is seeing other people succeed,” he said. “Watching doctors, staff and families grow because of what we’ve built together — that’s what matters.”
Moving forward with confidence in the future
Looking ahead, Kool Koala plans to continue expanding carefully, whether through new locations, acquisitions or partnerships. With TD as its banking partner, the practice has a roadmap that aligns financial readiness with long-term goals.
“TD understands our business,” Dr. Ballard said. “They’re helping us prepare for what’s next.”
As Kool Koala enters its next chapter, the mission remains unchanged: provide high-quality pediatric dental care in a setting where children feel safe, families feel supported and communities feel valued. For many young patients, that experience begins the moment they walk through the door — and see a friendly koala bear waiting to greet them.
Dr. Ballard’s tips for small business success
- Build the right foundation early: “Before you do anything else, get the bones of the business in place — banking, bookkeeping, accounting and legal. Having the right team around you from the start makes everything else possible.”
- Create structure that supports growth: “As you grow, clarity matters. If you don’t understand how money moves through your business, it becomes harder to expand, get financing or make confident decisions.”
- Define success beyond yourself: “At this stage, success means seeing other people win — your staff, your doctors, your families. When they grow, the business grows with them.”
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