Mentone Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting for Mentone Dental, 107 S. Broadway St., Mentone. Pictured (L to R) are Jamie Bower, wife of owner Dr. Skye Bower; Erica Snyder and Laci Weaver, both of Mentone Dental; owner Dr. Skye Bower; and Tim Croy, Rita Simpson, Vicki Mickel and Karen Francis, Mentone Chamber of Commerce. Photo by Jackie Gorski, Times-Union.

By Jackie Gorski
Times-Union

MENTONE – There will be a new dentist office in Kosciusko County when Mentone Dental, 107 S. Broadway St., opens Friday, Nov. 12. 

The opening was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday, Nov. 5 by the Mentone Chamber of Commerce.

Owner Dr. Skye Bower said Mentone Dental will open Friday, Nov. 12 and has three employees. 

“We’re starting small,” Bower said. “We’re starting small for now until (the business) starts to grow and then we’ll expand from there. But one thing at a time.”

Bower, who has been in the dental business for five years, said he acquired the building in May and has been fixing up the building by updating equipment and other things.

He is not originally from Mentone. Employee Erica Snyder thought it would be a good opportunity for the town and Bower for him to have a practice in town. Bower said he kind of jumped onto the opportunity to move into the building. It had been a dental office previously, so it was set up to be a dental office.

Snyder said Mentone Dental is taking calls to get people scheduled for appointments. There have been a couple of calls to get an appointment a little further out. Mentone Dental is taking appointments for Nov. 12.

“We want to have something local for people. There’s not a lot around, so this is a great opportunity for the town,” she said. 

Bower said Mentone, being a small town, was the draw to the area as small towns sometimes get left behind a little bit.

He said Mentone Dental will provide typical dental services such as crowns, fillings, cleanings, braces and implants. Sometimes, he said, small towns don’t have orthopedics or implants in their local dental office.

Mentone Dental will be open Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. until the client base grows and then will be open as business allows. 

Snyder said the phone lines at 574-598-2997 will be open, so people can call the office any time. Someone is usually in the office from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursdays. Bower said the voicemails people leave will go to staff email to ensure they will get the message.