Choto Family Dentistry coming
Two Maryville dentists have teamed up to open a satellite dental office, Choto Family Dentistry, in Markets at Choto.
Dr. Tommy Spears, who currently has a practice at Crestview Dental Care in Maryville, and Dr. Darrel Clabough hope to have the office at 1626 Choto Markets Way in Concord open by March 1, 2018.
“We are very excited,” Clabough said. “It’s going to be a great fit. We’ve known each other for years.
“I tried to get [Spears] to work for me when he got out of school,” he added.
Each of the dentists brings more than 30 years of experience to the joint practice. Spears has been in practice since 1986, and has been in practice in Maryville since 1989. Clabough started his practice in 1982.
“Dr. Clabough and I are friends and past competitors in the Blount County dental scene, then Darrel retired in 2015. His daughter is working for me in my practice,” Spears said. “[Clabough] is helping some other doctors across the state in East and Middle Tennessee who have experienced medical issues. Our families have known each other since the ’50s.
“We have very similar dental philosophies,” Spears added and Clabough agreed.
“We have talked about opening a satellite office.”
Then a dental representative made him aware there was lease space available in Markets at Choto and said Spears “should check it out.”
So, Spears contacted Markets at Choto property owner John Huber.
“We negotiated a lease for a proprietary dental office,” Spears said. “In that development, Darrel and I will be the dentists working in the office.
“The both of us will man the duties of being the dentist of Choto Family Dentistry,” he added.
Spears said the office will be beneficial to the dentists and to the community.
“I think the opportunity to be in a marketplace surrounded by subdivision after subdivision with continued growth is a great opportunity as a business person,” he said.
At the same time, Spears said Choto Family Dentistry will provide a location where people in the community can get their dental needs taken care of close by so area residents will not have to travel out of their community.
Spears will continue his practice in the Maryville office with Dr. R. Jake Goza while also working part time at Choto Family Dentistry — two to three days a week — with Clabough.
“We expect to be part time when we first start out,” Spears said. “As it grows we were planning to be an all-week open practice, Monday through Friday.”
For more information about Choto Family Dentistry, call Sara Berry, 865-982-1700.
