Photo by John Kirkpatrick

Wedding Orthodontics, Ben Thompson DMD and Pediatric Dentistry of Greater Owensboro (GO) have shared parking on Veach Road for over four decades. The trio of dental enthusiasts recently opened new locations on the Fairview Drive extension, still sharing a parking lot.

The new locations are adjacent to the new Daviess County Middle School and less than a mile from the Pleasant Valley Road exit of the ring road. The three owners cited a growing customer base, advanced technology and a desire to create a more welcoming environment for their patients as reasons for the move.

All three practices are fully operational and have the latest dental and orthodontic technologies. The offices can be accessed from Calumet Trace across from the Malco Theater or by activating Fairview from KY 54. Fairview is expected to connect to Thompson Drive soon, which will provide easier access, which was also the reason for the move.

Ben Thompson’s father, Shelby, opened Thompson DMD on Veach Road in 1978. He said his family made many memories there, but it was time for an upgrade.

“We were outgrowing our space and wanted to move a growth area out of town,” Thompson said. “The fact that we’re close to the ring road is a huge plus, and the new college was also part of the appeal.”

Thompson’s relationship with Justin Wedding and Blake Dickens, owner of GO Pediatric Dentistry, made the decision to move easy.

“We all get along so well, so it made sense to do it together,” he said. “Patients can expect the same level of quality of care, with more advanced technology.”

Dickens purchased Dr. Carol Braun Pediatric Dentistry from Braun nearly 2.5 years ago and has since changed the name to GO Pediatric Dentistry to foster more growth opportunities. GO specializes in pediatrics but also serves adults with special needs.

“We provide a lot of preventative and routine work using advanced behavioral techniques for people who might be struggling with anxiety,” Dickens said.

Braun had been at the Veach Road site for over 37 years. Dickens hopes the new site will do the same for him.

“It’s a bigger space with more technology, and it’s more modern and inviting for our younger patients,” he said. “We have arcade games in the waiting room and TVs above all the stations so the kids can watch TV while they brush their teeth.”

Wedding bought the orthodontic practice from Dr. Anthony Durall, who opened a shop on Veach in 1981. Wedding and his wife Madison, who is a business manager, joined the team in 2017.

Wedding said he has several patients who travel significant distances from all over the tristate and the new location provides easier access. He added that most of their clientele were school-aged children, so the proximity to the new college was also a plus.

“We were doing well at the previous location, but were approached about this land off the ring road and thought it would be much more convenient,” Wedding said. “We were able to add more technology and create a welcoming space for all of our patients.”

Several generations of tri-state brace wearers will remember Durall’s wooden nickel scheme, where he would hand out wooden nickels in exchange for positive dental practices. Patients could then redeem the nickels for various prizes.

Wedding endeavored to improve the practice by establishing a new wooden nickel shop on the new location. However, he said their patients range in age from seven to 78, something they kept in mind when designing the new office.

“It’s interesting to build an office with such a diverse age group. We wanted it to be fun for kids but comfortable for adults,” he said. “It feels like a modern, comfortable home in some areas and an entertainment hub in others.”

A fan favorite at the office is the new “pop-a-shot” arcade game, which he says is bringing tons of games to the waiting room.

“Our main goal was to have people come into our offices and say, ‘Man, I can’t believe this is Owensboro,'” Wedding said. “We sought to create something special and foster an environment where the community felt like they were part of something special, and I think we did that.”