TL;DR, if you have anxiety about dentists, if you don't have anxiety about dentists and need to…read morefind one in the greater Portland ME area? Call Dr Jean-Paul Boudreau's office. Ah, the 1970s. A time when men were men, women were women, and velour bell bottomed suits were a thing people actually left the house wearing without even a hint of irony. Unfortunately for young me, the 70s were also a time when it was considered perfectly appropriate for dentists to be absolutely terrifying to kids, and border on abuse. The first dentist I had as a child in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood was right along Center Street, and nearly everyone I knew would see him, and every single kid who did see him would burst into tears at the thought of having to go, or even the mention of his name. Not exaggerating here, this dentist would do nothing to alleviate children's anxiety, and in fact would seem to go out of his way to make things WORSE. Frankly I could go on for hours about how horrible the dentist visit were when I was a kid. From the bitewings he used being made for adult mouths to x-ray, which would lacerate a child's gums, to how he would have one of his dental assistants (literally) kneel on your chest and restrain your head if you cried and got upset. Oh, and when you were done? Know what he'd do? Give you a lollypop. No joke. You just came in because you had a cavity that needed filling, your mouth is numb, your face is covered with tears and you're traumatized? Here. Have some fucking sugar. Needless to say that as an adult, I would rarely go to the dentist. I had issues galore, evident gum problems, but even with good dental insurance I'd only go if there was a major problem (read: Pain). So, when I started having severe pain in my teeth and jaw, I had serious anxiety and put if off for days and days. Thankfully one of my friends suggested I visit Dr Boudreau. When I got there and we talked, I admitted that it had been years since my last dental visit, and told him about the dentist I'd had as a kid. And know what Dr Boudreau did? He listened. And he acknowledged how horrible that was and how it could be in the past. Talk about a different experience. From there he assessed my teeth, figured out what the issue was (actually a sinus infection that was putting pressure on nerves up around my teeth... who knew that was a thing? Apparently him), and then came up with a plan to deal with the not-inconsiderable amount of plaque under my gums. That was about 3 years ago, give or take. After numerous visits, and the use of several heavy duty belt sanders to chisel away at the decades of buildup, my gums are today quite happy. Could I do better at flossing? Yes. Yes I could. Old dogs, new tricks, etc etc, and this dog ain't quick to change habits! BUT I no longer have borderline panic attacks at the thought of getting in the chair. Dr Boudreau's offices are clean, well lit, and man does he have some high tech toys!! I mean granted, when I was a kid the average dentist's office looked like something out of an H. R. Giger illustration. They'd take an x-ray, and this fucking massive swing arm device would be laboriously turned your way, they'd have you bite the thing and destroy your gums, put on the lead apron, then the staff would yell "FIRE IN THE HOLE" and dive into a lead lined bunker. Frankly I'm amazed I don't have an arm growing out of my neck. ANYway, Dr Boudreau's office has these wicked cool portable x-ray things that look like a nifty prop out of Battlestar Galactica. In fact everything is far more cool and high tech than anything I'd seen previously. And when he does a filling? Scoops in some sort of stinky goo, shapes it, then takes a little Sonic Screwdriver looking thing and goes "BOOP... BOOP", and that's it. Filling is done. Well, I mean after the novocaine and the drilling, of course. Fucking technology, man. I love it. Everyone I've met who works with Dr Boudreau are also great. Professional, friendly, really easy to talk to, and I have to admit, going to the dentist's office is now an almost pleasurable experience. I mean, as long as you don't mind someone taking a metal hook and going "scrape scrape scrape" to your face. But "pleasurable" as opposed to "horrifying and traumatic". So yeah. I'll take it. But they're all great. If you need a dentist? Go see him. If you're also Gen-X and used to the horrors of dentists in the 70s and 80s in particular.

Not sure it's that often that someone has glowing reviews of a dentist but I'm so glad that…read moreJean-Paul and his team are now in charge of my pearly whites. The whole staff is very personable and not often does the actual dentist greet you at the front desk. Highly recommended!!!

My visit begins with a great Office team eager to assist with the visit and associated paperwork,…read moreetc. Cleaning was very thorough and accomplished by a skilled, knowledgeable and friendly individual! Cleanings always leave me with a great feeling and knowledge that I'm in good shape. Dr. Chadbourne always checks in for a brief hello and check on the condition of my teeth! All in all, this office and staff are great to work with. It's always a pleasure to visit the staff and later walk away knowing that you are being well cared for!

The staff is very kind, professional and efficient. Every time I have called the office, the…read moreindividual handling my call has been pleasant and helpful. The office is very clean and the decor very calming which I feel is appropriate for a dentist office. For my initial visit I received a thorough examination from both the hygienist and Dr. Chadbourn. Afterwards, Dr. Chadbourn discussed in detail a plan for my dental care - unfortunately due to lack of maintenance there was a bit of work to be done. I appreciated having a plan laid out and expectations set. I have severe anxiety surrounding dental procedures done such as fillings. Both Dr. Chadbourn and her hygienist made me feel comfortable by exuding patience and compassion while they worked on my teeth. I had two cavities repaired and I honestly did not feel a thing - not even the Novocaine shot. This is a great office/dentist to work due to their professionalism, kindness, and technology they use!

What a wonderful practice, from support staff to dental assistant Alisha to Dr. Shinay himself. Had…read morenot seen a dentist in too long. I had a non-emergency but nevertheless urgent problem with a broken molar. Although like most practices they schedule many weeks out, they got me in in just a few days' time. I certainly expected to have a crown or root canal but through Dr. Shinay's artistry the tooth was refilled and repaired, saving me time, anxiety and lotsa $$$. Plus, he's a great, warm, friendly guy! If you don't like going to the dentist (hands?) I highly recommend this service-oriented practice. They took my Delta Dental Insurance and will bill me for any copay. How cool is that? If they had a sixth star on top, I'd give it to them.

Genuinely caring, competent and ethical dentists. I had insurance, but what they did for someone I…read moreknew who did not was amazing. They are just really good people.

Excellent dental care, and I should know after 20 years as a patient with these dental…read moreprofessionals.

I had a very positive experience here today as a new patient. Christine who I think is the office…read moremanager is very friendly and answered all of my screening questions (one must do this, especially in the age of Covid!) without any hints of being put out before I made an appointment. They have an air purification system that is designed to kill viruses and other various evil air particles which made me feel more at ease about going to the dentist during Covid. I had x-rays done and the fellah who took them was very personable. Dr. DeRice was very down-to-earth, has a nice sense of humor and was very thorough with my exam. He took the time to address my dental questions and concerns. I'm returning soon for my cleaning and will update if needed. (A new patient exam takes longer but once you're established the dental exam and cleaning are always done together.)

I had my first dental appointment at Thrive today. The quality of care was outstanding. Jodi is an…read moreexcellent Dental Hygienist who combines high-level clinical skills with empathy and meticulous attention to detail - she made me feel immediately comfortable. Dr. Sye took the time, to discuss possible procedures I may need in the future and addressed my questions with patience and clarity. I can't say enough about my administrative experience with Connor. He is remarkably efficient in navigating insurance matters. As a new patient with a new insurance policy, Connor took the time to locate answers to last minute questions about coverage that saved me a considerable amount of time. I highly recommend this practice!

A beautiful office! I was blown away by how smooth and easy my appointment was. I arrived a few…read moreminutes early and was brought back right away. I even joked about how I would have loved more time to watch the fish in the aquarium. Dr. Figs was kind and explained all my treatment options and I felt in great hands.

I have been coming to this practice since I was a young child. They have helped me better my smile…read moreand mouth health for decades. Everyone that works there is friendly and helpful. They really care about the patients and the treatment they provide. From fillings to dental cleanings to crowns, they do it all. Definitely would recommend coming here and seeing Dr Pam!

I have been going to Pamela Anzelc for seven years now and she and her team have done a fantastic…read morejob of giving me the best care and best smile I've ever had. I was not blessed with good teeth and have needed a lot of help over the years. My smile has never looked better and I'm very thankful that I went to this practice. They are all great.

Dr. Buss is great, but I want to start my review by giving a huge shout out to the rest of the…read morestaff here, from the front-end assistants to Alicia, one of the hygienists at the office. Finding a new dentist is always stressful. But I got lucky, because after my first visit to Portland Smiles I knew I had found my new dentist's office. From the moment I called to make my first appointment, Judy was very accommodating and welcoming. She gave me an appointment a month out, but then texted me when they had a cancellation in case I wanted to go earlier. I loved that! I also loved how organized this office is. I was able to submit all the new-patient forms online prior to my appointment, and that saved me so much time. I can't say enough awesome things about Alicia, the best hygienist I've met. She was so caring, welcoming, and thoughtful. We had the best conversations together, it truly felt like I was making a new friend. She's hilarious and amazing at her job. She made my teeth cleaning fun. Dr. Buss was also friendly and welcoming, and you can tell she's such an expert at what she does. I felt like I was in good hands every minute of my appointment. I am so glad I found Portland Smiles.

So it has been a while since I have had a regular Dentist, working in Sanitation during the…read morepandemic didn't help. I called around and found Portland Smiles. They are absolutely amazing, upfront, willing work with me. I've had multiple fillings, a crown (still need more) and they have been friendly, courteous, and professional. Dr. Buss and Megan are absolutely amazing, Judy and Shanna are informative and break everything down and explain billing and insurance clearly. I used to get very anxious over going to the Dentist, but not with the amazing staff at Portland Smiles. They hygienists are amazing and the cleaning great, I just can't remember their names sadly. If I could rate Portland Smiles 10 stars I would, and I recommend them highly as they don't judge, they do listen, and they do care.

This would have been my second time coming here . When I had scheduled my appointment for a…read morecleaning I had let them know that I had back surgery a fusion. My appointment was a month and a half out on the day I was supposed to come in. I said I had to reschedule because my back was still really hurting and I didn't think I could sit in the chair. They told me it would be a $75 rescheduling fee which is absolutely crazy nor did I know anything about this fee people should not be penalized because life events. I also have MS which I had also told them which had nothing to do with this particular circumstance. But if there was a chance that I had a flare up and I couldn't make it, did that mean every time I was going to be charged $75 I could see $25. I could see something reasonable but 75 just seems so greedy. So to say the least I did not go. I exchanged a few emails with the dentist himself but he had no empathy or compassion, whatsoever

Very pleased with my first appointment and cleaning! Definitely chose the right practice for me!read more