A dental office is under construction in front of Saint Francis Medical Center and next to Chick-fil-A in Cape Girardeau.

Aspen Dental will open a Cape Girardeau location in that building at 3070 William St. on or about the end of April, said Emily Mein, communication specialist with Aspen Dental Management.

Nearby Aspen Dental locations already include Marion, Illinois, Paducah, Kentucky, and Farmington, Missouri, but, Mein said, Cape Girardeau County was identified as a �dental health shortage area.�

�That means there are not enough accessible dentists to meet the population�s need,� Mein said.

Aspen Dental offers emergency dental services and regular care, Mein said � everything from routine cleanings and fillings to emergency tooth extractions, according to the company website.

Mein said each Aspen Dental location typically employs one to two dentists.

�It�s all about breaking down barriers to get seen and get care people need, easily,� Mein added.

The office is in a high-visibility, high-traffic area, where congestion can be an issue.

But that�s a good thing for the dental office, Mein said.

�We welcome walk-in and emergency patients,� Mein said, �so that visibility and awareness is really ideal, so patients in the community can see and recognize that the practice is there to help them.�

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address:

3070 William St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.