When Barkley Pediatric Dentistry opened in 1975 Fort Myers was still a smaller city. As the city grew, so did the practice.

That continues to be true with Fort Myers’ population growth. As a result, Barkley Pediatric Dentistry broke ground on a new 7,247-square-foot state-of-the-art dental office set to open in the fall at 6090 Winkler Road, positioned behind FineMark Bank & Trust.

The space, which is twice as large as the location opened in 1987 on Barkley Circle, will allow the practice to continue to accommodate new patients, Dr. Anissa Ahmadi said. “Some dental practices in town no longer accept new patients or are fully booked weeks or months in advance, so the larger facility will allow our three board-certified pediatric dentists and orthodontist to welcome new patients in addition to treating children who we have been seeing for years,” Ahmadi said.

The project handled by Summit Building Contractors and Benson & Associates Interior Design will include a parking lot with four times the number of spaces for staff and patients as the Barkley Circle location. The clinic’s lobby will offer ample seating, a child-friendly area and a 460-gallon saltwater tank with colorful fish and live coral.

The practice that employs 17 people will have 18 dental and orthodontic chairs, some equipped with overhead television monitors. The building design includes a reception area, offices, private consultation and radiography rooms, an operative alcove, laboratory, teeth brushing station, sterilization area, staff lounge and multiple restrooms.

In addition to the in-house lab, Barkley Pediatric Dentistry will offer an intraoral digital scanner that produces accurate 3D renderings of a patient’s mouth to create precise, accurate molds and impressions. One exam room at the new office will be dedicated to infants.