Meet Carole Bates of Farmersville Dental

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carole Bates.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Carole. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I absolutely love being a rural dentist. However, Dentistry is actually not my first career nor was it expected for me to live in Rural Texas. What brought me to this small country town of just over 3,000 people about 40 miles North-East of Dallas, is quite interesting.

Farmersville Dental is my thriving private practice dental office in the small rural town of Farmersville, Texas. Farmersville is also the place in which my family and I have come to call our home. I bought the existing practice in September of 2010 and have been very busy doing dentistry ever since.

In my younger years, my first career included traveling the nation and the world on tour with Disney On Ice. I was a figure skater for the ice shows and had a wonderful opportunity to perform, travel, and meet people from all over the world. Of course, the most special person I met on the road was my husband, Scott. He travelled and toured with me as a backstage crewmember, specifically, the “props guy”. We married while still on the show but soon decided to start our family, settle in Texas, and I wanted to pursue something other than ice-skating as a career.

I did coach skating at the Dallas Galleria for almost 5 years before getting into dental school and starting my second career… I went to dental school in Houston and have since moved back to the Dallas area. Pursuing our dreams, my husband and I have always wanted to own acreage where we can raise our 2 sons, Wesley and Dominic; Hence, we came upon this beautiful piece of land in the hilly countryside of Farmersville.

I had the greatest opportunity to purchase the local existing practice; and I continuously say that this was the best decision I have ever made! My staff is a great, tough, hard working group of women and I appreciate them immensely. The staff positions that I offer are locally in demand due to stability, regular consistent hours, close proximity to their home and family, and a great work environment. I strive to make my dental office a fun place to work all the while ensuring our patients have the most comfortable and memorable dental appointment ever.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I cannot complain, it has been a fairly smooth road for me and my business. The main obstacle is transitioning from always being an employee and/or being a student to running and owning a private small business. Obviously, going from being a performer ice skater to being a dentist are two very different jobs. However, as with being a past performer, I always knew the value and importance of a good smile and a healthy mouth!

After all the years dedicated to college and then dental school, not a lot of business training is incorporated into the program. As with any small business, proper and consistent systems must be in place to continue a productive, smooth-flowing company that must be able to sustain itself and, more importantly, be able to grow successfully.

Certain struggles occur when we have the occasional equipment or computer downfall, or when we have a shortage in staff due to a family illness going around. A dental office is reliant on the entire team and teamwork and when something goes down, everyone must adjust from their regular routine to accommodate and work around the obstacle.

Again, smooth-running systems and great staff help us get over these humps and continue the pursuit of quality dental care accomplished in a timely manner. Our patients have busy lifestyles and we must be able to get them finished and on their way.

Please tell us about Farmersville Dental.
What makes my office appealing to many patients is the warm, laid-back country atmosphere. In my small-town office, with its homey feel, patients can come in and chat with the familiar hygienists and assistants and feel comfortable. Since we are all local residents, we see many of our patients when out at football games, at the grocery store, and even dropping our kids off at school. While patients always express dental anxiety,  they usually leave our office comforted and reassured.

My structural, stand-alone office building is simply an old remodeled house arranged peculiarly as a maze on the interior; and there is a large pecan tree right in the middle of our parking lot! However, the office functions perfectly fine and successful as a modern dental office. We are equipped with all digital x-rays and sensors, computerized charts and treatment plans. While the building is compact and our parking lot is small, our patients continuously return for our quality services and friendly atmosphere.

We offer most all dental services here as well. I rarely have to refer out due to the procedures not being performed at this office. We offer everything from Zoom! tooth whitening, cleanings, fillings, crowns and bridge work, to orthodontics and wisdom teeth extractions. Laughing gas is always offered to our anxious patients as well. The only procedure that I generally refer out for, is the dental implant surgery; however, the patient will then return to our office for the final implant restoration.

I think what sets us apart from others is that we are the main dental office of this town,  hence our name. The staff goes above and beyond to help patients anyway we can. We market specifically to Farmersville and the local surrounding areas in terms of supporting the community and school functions. Most of my marketing is done by sponsoring the local activities, such as supporting the 5K run at the Farmersville “Old Time Saturday” flee market, or having game booths at the “Scare On The Square” Halloween event, or even our “Fancy” the tooth Fairy come to the elementary school to explain oral health and hand out toothbrushes to the kids. There is also an annual bike ride through the Farmersville country roads in which I donate and place business postcards for the athletes. My business is currently a member of the local Chamber of Commerce, which has a welcome packet for any new family or individual that moves into town. My 2 school-age boys, as well as several of my employees, have kids in the local schools that are involved in several sports, and I regularly donate to any local fundraisers that come around.

This area of the country-side is continuing to grow in population as many people from the city want to move out to the country and Farmersville Dental will have to accommodate for the growth. Thus, a new, larger dental office building is in the future plans.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I absolutely don’t regret any decisions I have made in the past. The fact that I was able to travel the world as a figure skater with Disney On Ice in my younger years, then attend school as a non-traditional student makes for an interesting life. Furthermore, the decision to purchase this little “gem” of a dental office out in the Texas country, is the best decision I have ever made.

Reverting back to earlier when I mentioned about adapting to owning and running a business, the only thing I would have done differently is that I would have taken more business-related courses in undergrad. However, all this is quickly learned, and sometimes a consultant, bookkeeper, or another company is hired to help ensure all business aspects are covered, employees are happy and taken care of, and taxes are paid in a timely manner.

Contact Info:

• Address: 1010 W. Audie Murphy Pkwy.,
  Farmersville, Tx 75442
• Website: FarmersvilleDental.com
• Phone: 972-784-8282
• Email: farmersvilledental@gmail.com
• Facebook: Farmersville Dental
• Yelp: Farmersville Dental

Image Credit:
Highlander Photography

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