Local dentists sink their teeth into business ownership

Local dentists Dr Caroline Bowman and Dr Charlie Thompson have taken over as the new owners of Cobar’s dental surgery.

Husband and wife dental team Dr Charlie Thompson and Dr Caroline Bowman have taken over as the new owners of the Cobar dental surgery, which will soon be rebranded as Thompson Family Dental.

A lot has happened in the past four years since the couple moved to Cobar to work as dentists at the surgery.

Two years ago the pair married and also bought a house here and last October they welcomed their first child, a son Henry.

Caroline said their original plan was to stay for two years but when they first arrived she said they were warned that they would still be here in 30 years.

The couple settled in well, they like Cobar and have decided to stay.

“We have no plans to move, we love it here.

“The community has welcomed us, and we really couldn’t imagine living in a better place,” Caroline said.

Recently Charlie and Caroline decided they would take over the Cobar dental practice of which they had previously been employees.

“We felt it was time to start working for ourselves,” Caroline said.

“The business has developed into something we are really proud of over the last few years and we thought it would be more rewarding if it was truly ours.”

When asked what it is they enjoy about working in Cobar, Caroline’s response was, “The people!”

“We love the variety of work, the people we get to meet and the friendly, relaxed nature of the town.

“It is great to be able to walk to work every day and to go home for lunch!” Charlie added.

Now that they’ve taken over, they’re keen to update the practice.

“We have plans in motion to redesign the shop fitout, install new dental chairs and make the place a little more streamlined in function,” Charlie said.

“We are planning on a full rebrand, changing the name to Thompson Family Dental and the colour to green.”

“We need more green in Cobar, and since we can’t make it rain, we’ll use paint!” Caroline added.

Apart from the physical changes to the look of the surgery, Caroline said, they will still have the same five staff members and offer a range of general dental services.

“We love treating patients of all ages, and have lots of experience with anxious patients.

“We really prefer to help people look after their teeth, rather than having to replace missing teeth,” Caroline said.

In between working at the practice, getting married, buying a house and starting a family, Charlie has spent the past few years travelling to Sydney to further his knowledge of Orthodontics, to allow patients more treatment options close to home.

Caroline has a particular interest in reconstructive work, making dentures and has a passion for improving smiles.