Aspen Dental held the grand opening of its Marshalltown office Thursday, welcoming new patients and scheduling appointments.

The office, located at 2615 S Center St, is one of 17 offices the dental chain operates in Iowa.

“Our mission is to give people access to care when in the past they have encountered road blocks,” said Aspen Dental office manager Kim O’Connor. “We recognized a need for another dental clinic in Marshalltown, and wanted to provide the service.”

She said the company accepts most every type of insurance, excluding Medicaid, and treats the uninsured. A variety of payment plans are in place to assist those who cannot pay for the services in full on the first visit.

All new patients receive an initial examination and x-rays, free of charge, to evaluate a person’s unique dental needs.

“It’s a comprehensive exam so people can know all their options before any treatment gets started,” O’Connor said. “We like to be transparent and help people come up with a plan.”

Hyrum Murdoch, DMD, will be the full-time dentist, beginning in March. In the meantime, an interim dentist has been put in place. Bilingual staff members will be joining at a later date.

O’Connor said a unique aspect of the Aspen Dental brand is that every office has an on-site denture laboratory. This allows for less turnaround time on orders and repairs. The clinics offer a money back guarantee on its dentures.

“Doing dentures in-house allows us to work closely with clients and keep costs low,” O’Connor said. “A lot of private practices just don’t have the room or resources to put a lab in their offices.”

The clinic offers preventative care, general dentistry, restoration and will have a traveling oral surgeon. For procedures not done in-house, the office will refer patients to other clinics. The office also offers dental care for children.

At least one Saturday a month the clinic will be open, by appointment. The office is open Mondays from noon to 5 p.m., Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“We are excited the office finally opened,” said dental assistant Amber French. “Everything looks fresh and new and I look forward to working here.”

For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact the office at 641-352-7180.