A move, a new job, new insurance.
Three people at two different practices, one child who has never been, and a plan you have not read. You want one place that takes all of you.
Portland, Maine. Family and general dentistry.
The Portland, Maine family dentist that books the whole household in one morning.
Back-to-back appointments for everyone from the first tooth to the last crown. The same hygienist every visit. A written estimate before anything beyond the cleaning. Doors open at 7:00.
Book the family
or call (207) 555-0164
A Tuesday morning at Harborlight
7:00ClaireExam and cleaning
7:40SamExam and cleaning
8:20Ava, age 9Cleaning and sealants
9:00Grandpa JoeCrown check
Why families switch
Nobody leaves a dentist for being unfriendly. They leave because the calendar broke.
A tooth broke at school pickup.
The old office can see you in three weeks. We hold emergency time every day and tell you what to do before you get here.
Your dentist retired, or the hygienist changed again.
The person who knew your daughter was scared of the mirror is gone. Here, your family is assigned a hygienist by name, and she stays.
What we put in writing
Three things you can hold us to, in the welcome sheet before your first visit.
Most practices describe their values. We would rather describe what happens, with a time next to it.
One morning
The Family Block
Back-to-back appointments for the whole household, one check-in, one conversation at the desk. Nobody comes back four times.
Every visit
The same hygienist
Your family is assigned to Jenna or one of her team by name. The person who cleans your teeth in March is the person who does it in September.
Before treatment
The written estimate
Nothing beyond the exam and cleaning happens without an estimate on paper: what the plan is expected to cover, what you pay, and plainly, what can wait.
2011Founded on Back Cove by Dr. Elena Marsh, who still reviews every estimate.
14People on the team, including two general dentists and the hygienists you will know by name.
7:00Doors open Monday to Friday, so the kids are done before the first bell.
1Written estimate before any treatment beyond the exam and cleaning. Always.
The Family Block
Four people. One check-in. Done by nine.
Naomi books the household back to back in neighbouring rooms. Parents have their cleanings while the kids have theirs. Rosa sits with whoever is nervous. One conversation at the desk at the end, with one estimate if anything was found.
One morning. Everyone done.
7:00ClaireExam and cleaning
7:40SamExam and cleaning
8:20Ava, age 9Cleaning and sealants
9:00Grandpa JoeCrown check
6:55One check-inOne conversation at the desk, one estimate if anything was found
What we do
Everything a household needs, from the first tooth to the last crown.
Two general dentists, so you are never sent across town for the ordinary things. Where we refer out, we say so on the page.
7:00, before work
Cleanings and exams
Every six months, with the same hygienist
Exams, cleanings, X-rays when needed, sealants and fluoride for children, and a hygienist who remembers you.
Read how it works
After school
Family and children's dentistry
From the first tooth, the whole household together
Children from the first tooth, parents and grandparents, booked back to back so one morning covers everyone.
Read how it works
Lunch hour
Restorative dentistry
A tooth that broke, a filling that failed
Fillings, crowns, bridges, root canals, extractions, dentures and implant crowns, with a written estimate before any of it.
Read how it works
Friday morning
Cosmetic dentistry
Whitening, bonding, veneers and clear aligners
Cosmetic work by the general dentist who already knows your teeth, with an honest conversation first. Results vary.
Read how it works
Held every day
Emergency dentist
When a tooth hurts, same week and often same day
Emergency time is held in the schedule every day. Call, and we will tell you what to do right now and when to come in.
Read how it works
Any morning
New patients and fees
Your first visit, written out before you book
What happens at the first visit, what the written estimate contains, how insurance works here and the Harborlight Plan.
Read how it works
A year at Harborlight
What the first twelve months look like, written down.
Week one
The first visit
Check-in, X-rays if they are due, the exam, a conversation, and the estimate if anything was found. Written out on the new patients page so nobody walks in wondering.
Six months on
The cleaning, with Jenna again
A text reminder, the same hygienist, the same 7:00 slot if you want it. She already knows which child needs the mirror explained first.
When something is found
The written estimate
What it is, what it costs, what the plan is expected to cover, and what can wait until next year. You take it home. Nothing is booked at the desk.
The Saturday a tooth hurts
The call
Patients of record have an after-hours line to the on-call dentist. Monday morning there is held time. For anything life-threatening, 911 first; we say that on the emergency page too.
Known faces
The people you will see, starting with the ones you will see most.
Hygienists first, because they are the relationship. Then the dentists, then Naomi, who runs the calendar.
Illustrative example
A first month, as it could run
We moved from Boston in August with two kids and a plan I did not understand. By the second Tuesday in September all four of us had been seen, in one morning, and I had a piece of paper that said what my son's sealants would cost before anyone touched him.
A composite of the families Harborlight was designed for. Not a real patient.
- Booked
- 7:00, 7:40, 8:20, 9:00
- Hygienist
- Jenna, for all four
- Estimate
- One, on paper, same morning
- Return visits
- Zero
Can you really see my whole family in one visit?
Yes. That is the Family Block. Naomi books back-to-back appointments in neighbouring rooms, so parents and children are seen in the same hour or two and you check in once. Tell us how many people are coming and we will find a morning. The 7:00 slots go first.
Are you accepting new patients in Portland?
Yes, including whole households. The first visit is written out step by step on the new patients page: check-in, X-rays if they are due, the exam, a conversation with the dentist, and a written estimate if anything was found.
At what age should a child first see the dentist?
Around the first tooth, and by the first birthday. The first visit is short and mostly show-and-tell with Rosa, our dental assistant for children's visits. We are general dentists who see children as part of family care; for complex pediatric needs we refer to a pediatric practice and say so.
Do you take my insurance?
We work with most major PPO plans and will check your benefits before the first visit. For families without dental insurance there is the Harborlight Plan, an in-house annual membership that covers routine care and discounts other treatment. Naomi explains both in plain words.
What happens if a tooth hurts after hours?
Patients of record have an after-hours line to the on-call dentist; it is on your welcome sheet. During office hours, call and we will see you the same week and often the same day. For a life-threatening injury, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room first.
Next step
One morning. Everyone done. Tell us who is coming.
Naomi replies within one business day with times that put the whole household in one visit.
Book the family
or call (207) 555-0164
Monday to Thursday 7:00 am to 5:00 pm, Friday 7:00 am to 1:00 pm