Legacy of Distinction
At Harris Family Dentistry, Dr. Jared Harris builds on his father’s decades-long legacy of catering to each patient’s needs with care, precision, and a passion for superior results.
Years ago, when Jeffrey S. Harris, D.M.D., operated a dental practice in Kennett Square, his young son Jared would often accompany him—observing, asking questions, filling his curious mind with lessons about everything from the anatomy of the human mouth to the importance of treating others with respect. Dr. Jeffrey remembers grinning with a combination of delight and paternal pride at his son’s precociousness and desire for learning.
“Even when he was a boy, Jared could take apart anything and put it back together,” Dr. Jeffrey recalls. “And that’s what dentistry is: taking what Mother Nature gave you, drilling it apart, getting rid of the bad stuff, and then restoring it.”
Dr. Jeffrey and his son, Jared M. Harris, D.M.D., now work side by side at Harris Family Dentistry, a premier dental practice based in Malvern that provides comprehensive and preventative care, including general, cosmetic, restorative, and implant dentistry. The doctors and their staff take pride in delivering personalized dental care to patients of all ages in a calming, modern, and immaculately clean environment.
Harris Family Dentistry offers the continuum of dental care: routine cleanings, extractions, aesthetic fillings, teeth whitening, and orthodontic care through teeth-straightening systems such as Invisalign; more involved procedures such as dental implants, bridges, veneers, and dentures; and full-mouth rehabilitations. No matter the need, both doctors want patients to know they will be treated with care and precision, aided by the most advanced technology available.
“My father taught me how to treat people the right way,” says Dr. Jared. “He taught me to treat people the way I’d want to be treated, beyond patient interactions in the office. And when a patient is in the chair with a mouthful of problems, I’ve learned it’s best to approach the situation as an educator.
“We never rush our patients,” he continues. “It’s a very intimate environment, and we involve patients in the decision-making process so they feel comfortable about each step. It’s never ‘my way or the highway.’ I utilize live images and offer multiple treatment options, so patients have a clearer understanding and feel educated and confident about proceeding with their treatment.”
Adds Dr. Jeffrey: “We’ve always catered to patients’ time and needs. We’re not one of these corporate practices. We spend time with patients. We do things at their pace.” Such is the philosophical bedrock of Harris Family Dentistry, and likely why so many people seek out the practice’s distinctive experience.
A Different Approach
Dr. Jared received a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from the University of Pittsburgh. He went on to earn his Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry degree from the Temple University Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry—his father’s alma mater—graduating Summa Cum Laude and being inducted into the Omicron Kappa Upsilon Dental Honor Society. He has also been recognized by the Delaware Valley Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons for clinical excellence in oral and maxillofacial implantology.
Dr. Jared received a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from the University of Pittsburgh. He went on to earn his Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry degree from the Temple University Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry—his father’s alma mater—graduating Summa Cum Laude and being inducted into the Omicron Kappa Upsilon Dental Honor Society. He has also been recognized by the Delaware Valley Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons for clinical excellence in oral and maxillofacial implantology.
Dr. Jared is passionate about minimally invasive cosmetic and restorative procedures aimed at preserving a patient’s natural tooth for as long as possible. He subscribes to the principles of Biomimetic Restorative Dentistry, a type of tooth-conserving dentistry designed to preserve intact tooth structures and restore the function and biomechanics of natural teeth. The goal of these minimally invasive and adhesive procedures is to use a natural tooth as the model to restore and preserve as much healthy tooth structure as possible, ultimately resulting in the decreased need for root canal treatment and crowns.
“Teeth are very complex structures and, just like any other body part, they can heal when given the chance,” Dr. Jared says. “The materials I use are aimed at restoring a tooth to its original form and function before it was even touched by a drill. I want my restorations to hold up, but I also want the tooth underneath them to hold up as well.”
When the restorative material is stronger than the foundation supporting it, Dr. Jared says catastrophic failures are inevitable—and the cycle of death for a tooth is accelerated. He uses the analogy of building a house on a swamp and expecting the structure to last, even though it is doomed to fail. This concept holds true even for cosmetic procedures, such as veneers.
“That is how I approach modern-day dentistry,” he adds. “I incorporate this unique approach to cosmetic makeovers, too. There are tried-and-true ways of doing dentistry, and I’m able to mesh the old-school approach with a new-school approach.”
Dr. Jeffrey is thrilled to have realized his lifelong dream of practicing dentistry with his son. The two work together on a daily basis, managing the office and collaborating on treatment-planning decisions. Dr. Jeffrey is proud to have shaped his son’s path to becoming a world-class clinician committed to helping patients make informed decisions about their dental health.
Likewise, Dr. Jared considers himself blessed to follow in his father’s footsteps, and he’s grateful for the opportunity to care for one of the most precious assets a person has—their smile.
“I love what we do here, and I’m honored to restore patients’ smiles and continue the legacy my father started more than 35 years ago,” he says. “The cosmetic procedures we perform in our practice can be life changing for a patient, and they are life changing for me. I’m the first person a patient sees when we’re done with treatment, and the look I get from them is priceless. There’s no better feeling than that.”
Harris Family Dentistry
22A Mystic Lane
Malvern, PA 19355
(484) 874-5050
harrisfamilydentist.com
22A Mystic Lane
Malvern, PA 19355
(484) 874-5050
harrisfamilydentist.com
Photograph by Nina Lea Photography
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, January 2022.
