About Us
Drs. Mark Morris, Julia Kapala and Catherine Cagino are dedicated to partnering with their patients to create smiles that are not only beautiful and natural in appearance, but long lasting and comfortable as well. Our purpose is to help our patients keep all their teeth the rest of their lives whenever possible. Every procedure performed at Merrimack Smiles is accomplished to the very best of our ability, and our abilities will never cease to improve through our constant pursuit of continuous growth and education.
Our practice is built on a foundation of core values, including integrity, accountability, and a commitment to excellence. We believe in open communication, transparency, and treating every patient with dignity and respect. Empowering our patients through education helps them understand their dental health and the options available, ensuring informed and confident decisions about their care.
Our Promise About Us
We know that many people may feel anxious about coming to the dentist, it is our goal to make your visit with us as pain and anxiety free as possible. Our thorough approach creates the time to learn about you and your unique need. It allows our doctors to fully discuss with you the options for care and, together, make the best possible decisions that will meet your health and smile goals. Our team is committed to providing our patients with optimal functional, esthetic and preventive care giving you the smile you deserve.
Our Mission About Us
To provide comprehensive and compassionate care with a focus on education and achievement of optimal oral and total body health for all. We strive to develop long-term relationships with our patients creating a partnership working towards the goal of keeping you healthy and smiling confidently for a lifetime.
Our Vision About Us
To be Southern New Hampshire’s most innovative and trustworthy family dental practice and change the way our patients think about dentistry by providing proactive preventative care, with the goal of eliminating unexpected worry and improved health, enhancing the everyday lives of our patients.
Our Core Values About Us
- Health above all else.
- Communicate often and frequently.
- Connecting with transparency, dignity and respect.
- Strive to provide an exceptional experience.
- Integrity-to do what is right always.
- Accountability-to our team and our patients, always.
- Embrace and drive change-never stop learning, doing, growing.
- Work together, succeed together, have fun together.
- Make it fun and enjoyable-change the perspective on dental visits.
- Build a positive team and friendly spirit.
B-Corporation CertificationAbout Us
As the only B Corp-certified dental office in Northern New England, we dedicate ourselves to the health and betterment of our community. We conduct business with a focus on people and place, implementing best practices in governance and sustainability to create positive impacts that extend beyond our practice’s doors.
At Merrimack Smiles, we treat more than teeth; we care for people, creating an environment where you feel heard, respected, and valued.
Meet Our Team
Mark S. Morris, DDS
Dr. Mark S. Morris grew up in the small town of Rangely Colorado with his loving family of six. As the oldest of four children, Dr. Morris was the first to leave for college attending Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado. There he balanced academics and athletics, earning his B.S. degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology while playing intercollegiate football and club rugby. His interest in the anatomy and physiology of the human body as well as his affinity for problem solving and fixing things, is what initially led him to the field of dentistry.
After attaining his undergraduate degree, Dr. Morris went on, to work with children, in a pediatric dental practice. In 2010 Dr. Morris graduated from the University of Colorado Denver, School of Dental Medicine. Dr. Morris completed a General Practice Residency in Hospital Dentistry at the University of Colorado in 2011. The residency provided advanced education and training in comprehensive dentistry including extractions, root canals, pediatrics, prosthodontics, emergencies and implant dentistry. Throughout his dental career, Dr. Morris has committed himself to becoming an exemplary dentist, providing his patients with quality dentistry in a comfortable environment.
Dr. Morris, his wife Maggie and their children truly appreciate living in Merrimack and being part of such a wonderful community. Out of the office Dr. Morris and his family enjoy spending time together as a family, going on day trip adventures, weekends on Cape Cod, or simply playing in the yard.
Being a “family dentist” is truly a joy for Dr. Morris, he loves being able to care for patients of all ages. He feels fortunate that he is able to help his patients while also getting to know them for years to come.
Dr. Julia Kapala, DMD
Dr. Julia Kapala started her dental journey as an oral surgery assistant in high school. Her early mentors engrained in her the importance of easing dental anxiety and making patients feel comfortable at every stage of their dental treatment.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in Microbiology and Immunology from UMass Amherst. She then attended Boston University’s Goldman School of Dental Medicine to complete her dental training.
Throughout dental school, Dr. Kapala sought additional experience in treating the unique dental needs of both geriatric and special needs patients. She spent the early years of her career practicing at a community health center in the North Country of New Hampshire, providing care in an area where dentists are in short supply. Dr. Kapala prides herself in treating every patient as if they were a member of her own family.
Outside the office, Dr. Kapala enjoys baking, crafting and watching true crime documentaries. She loves taking long drives to explore all the sights that beautiful New England has to offer. She lives in Londonderry with her husband Ray, their son, Henry, and their four-legged daughter Penny.
Catherine Cagino, DDS, MS
Maxillofacial Prosthodontist
Dr. Cagino graduated from the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine (UB) in 2013. She continued her education at UB in the Advanced Education in Prosthodontics residency program earning her certificate in Prosthodontics in 2016. During her residency, Dr. Cagino also completed a masters’ degree in Oral Sciences. Her masters’ research thesis evaluated a new processing method for denture base acrylic resin.
After graduation from residency, Dr. Cagino pursued sub-specialty training, completing a one-year fellowship in Maxillofacial Prosthetics at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Maxillofacial Prosthetics focuses on treatment of patients with defects of the head and neck region due to cancer, surgery, trauma and birth defects. Dr. Cagino’s clinical interests include the dental management of pre and post radiation and chemotherapy patients as well as treatment of maxillectomy and mandibulectomy patients.
Throughout her training, Dr. Cagino was a clinical instructor for pre-doctoral students learning removable prosthodontics at both UB and UCLA. She participated in a number of research poster sessions and competitions throughout her training at both institutions. Her research experience taught her the importance of making clinical decisions based on scientific evidence.
Dr. Cagino and her Husband have two young children and are enjoying watching their personalities develop. In her free time Dr. Cagino is an avid reader, aspiring gardener and enjoys cooking for her family and friends.
The Hearts & Souls of Merrimack Smiles
Challenges– Our motto is “if you’re not growing your dying” and we encourage each other try new things create goals and help each other where we can in achieving them. Each of us has different strengths, interests, and knowledge that we love to share. We are constantly asking each other how we can be better versions of ourselves and set up challenges to help us learn new things.
That stated, we are all very competitive and enjoy mixing our days up with a bit of nonsense. Some of us will tell you they are not competitive, but don’t believe them, they want you to think that so they can trick you and win. Our past challenges include, who can eat a fruit-by-the-foot the fastest without using your arms, don’t say “just” when speaking; there was no winners for this one only a “not the worst loser”, who has the best dance moves, fastest marshmallow eater and, best scarer (ask us about the winners). All challenge suggestions are welcomed and encouraged; we know we have not thought of them all. Our challenges contribute to our personal growth goals, how else would we know that we have what it takes to eat without our arms?
Our Sweeping Declaration– We will never find a temperature compromise between the business (always cold) and the clinical (always warm) teams, it does not exist. The business team will continue each year to think creatively about how to be warmer. So far, the best ideas have been thermals, mini space heaters and hot hand warmers. No need to feel sorry for us, this dilemma and its solutions have been a source of comedy and calamity around the office, and no one has lost any toes (yet).
Our Favorite Things
Creatures Great and Small- We love all animals a lot! Dogs, cats, bears, no creature is left out. Except for bugs, worms, spiders, and pretty much anything with more than four legs, or that is slimy or that can sting you. To summarize, we love furry cute animals that are found following Disney princesses around.
Food– The most excited you will see us is when we have Mexican food for lunch or the seasonal Thanksgiving sandwich from Tuckers. If you haven’t tasted the thanksgiving sandwich, it is most likely our fault because we eat almost all their limited supply, and we are sorry, but only a little sorry, because those sandwiches are delicious.
For a sweet treat we cannot resist fruit, covered in chocolate variety. We also love cookies and any small sized treat, because they are just so cute, we can’t stand it, and we must eat them; after commenting about how cute each one is, of course.
Hobbies– Our favorite past-time is scaring each other and seeing who gets the best scare and loudest scream. We think of it as a team-building activity, it has provided hours of fun, and tons of laughs. It will never get old. One of us is the host of the “who sings this song” game with the office music station, so don’t be surprised if you are unexpectdly part of a music pop-quiz game show moment.
We also enjoy more standard hobbies such as, kayaking/canoeing, hitting the gym (ask us how many pull-ups we can do), crossword puzzles, word games (if it is before lunch please don’t tell us what the wordle word is, we haven’t done it yet), trivia, walking/hiking, camping (ask us where our favorite spots are) and continual home projects (tips, tricks, and advice welcome). One of us is trying their best to be a more adventurous eater, with our encouragement and insistence. One of us is in a competition with ourselves seeing how long it will take to put their Christmas tree away, so far, the record is June. Every single one of us is maxing out our moments with friends, family and loved ones, we have learned that time is not guaranteed and to not let too much of it pass without a visit.
Jokes– The loudest sound heard around the office is laughter. We all think we are hilarious. We love to tease each other whenever the opportunity presents. The person we tease most is Dr. Morris, being one of the only males in the office he sets himself up as an easy target and is a good sport about it. No need to feel sad for him though because he gives it right back and gets some good ones in himself (don’t tell him though, we don’t want him to know we think he is funny). The longest running joke is the one about Dr. Morris’ New Balances (ask us about it, we would love to let you in on it).
Our doctors are proud members of:
About Us
Our Technology
Our Doctors utilize state-of-the-art tools to assist them in maintaining your healthy mouth and beautiful smile.
Appointment Commitment
We strive to develop long-term relationships with our patients creating a partnership focused on keeping you healthy and smiling confidently for a lifetime. Mutual understanding is key to these relationships, so we believe it's essential to clearly outline our office commitments regarding appointments.
New and Potential Patients
We understand that many people feel anxious about visiting the dentist. Our goal is to make your experience as comfortable and stress-free as possible. We take a thorough approach, learning about you and your unique needs. Our longer appointments—typically lasting 1.5 to 2 hours—allow ample time for our doctors to discuss care options, empowering you to make informed decisions about your health and smile goals.
When you come in for your first appointment, we dedicate time to establishing a relationship, understanding your needs, and capturing comprehensive diagnostics to create a personalized treatment plan.
We ask new patients to arrive 15 minutes early. This helps our team gather all the necessary information before your appointment begins.
Broken Appointments
We value your time by ensuring our schedule is not over-booked. This means your appointment is reserved exclusively for you. Missing your appointment not only delays your treatment but also limits our ability to care for other patients during that time. Missed appointments can increase dental costs for everyone and lead to longer wait times for those who need urgent care.
If you need to reschedule, please provide at least 2 business days’ notice (Monday – Thursday, 7:30 AM – 4:30 PM). For Monday appointments, we require notice by the previous Wednesday at 4:30 PM to avoid any broken appointment fees. The fee amount will vary based on the time reserved for your treatment.
For longer appointments, we may request a deposit to secure your time slot. This deposit is fully refundable if you cancel with the required notice. However, if you miss your appointment without proper notice, a broken appointment fee will apply, and part of your deposit may be forfeited. You will need to make a new deposit for future appointments.
If you’d prefer not to place a deposit, we can offer you a spot on our Priority List, detailed below.
We understand that life happens, and emergencies arise. We consider all situations individually based on the information you choose to share with us. Our goal is not to “penalize” anyone for missed appointments but to be transparent about expectations. This allows us to provide high-quality dental care at reasonable costs. Unlike other practices that charge hidden fees or higher prices to offset missed appointments, we don’t overbook or use such practices. In return, we ask that our patients honor their scheduled appointments and maintain open communication.
If more than three appointments are missed, we may add you to the Priority List for future scheduling, or we may need to end our provider-patient relationship.
Multiple Appointments for Family Members
We are happy to accommodate reservation requests for multiple family members at the same time. However, if any family member misses their appointment without proper notice, charges may be applied after the first occurrence. Continued missed appointments may result in scheduling family members separately.
Making Appointments for Others
We prefer that patients reserve their appointments to avoid any miscommunication about the date, time, or treatment. We can accommodate appointments made on behalf of another person, but all reservation expectations still apply. Please ensure that the person for whom you’re scheduling understands the commitment being made.
Dental Emergency Services
If you believe you have a dental emergency, please contact us immediately, preferably by phone, so we can allocate the necessary time for our doctors to address your concerns.
Late Arrivals
Our goal is not to “inconvenience” you by declining to see you if you’re running late. However, it would be unfair to make other patients wait because of your late arrival or to cause our team members to be late for their commitments outside of work hours. To maintain the high standard of care our patients deserve, we allocate the exact amount of time needed to complete your treatment.
Skipping prescribed treatment steps, completing them out of order, or rushing through your care compromises the quality of your treatment. Therefore, if you arrive more than 5 minutes late for your reserved appointment, we may not be able to provide the level of care that meets our standards. If we are unable to complete the necessary treatment due to time constraints, we reserve the right to cancel your reservation and work with you to reschedule on another day/time that works for your schedule.
Reserved Appointment Communication
Your appointment is confirmed when reserved and held specifically for you.
Please mark your calendar to ensure you arrive on time.
We use an automated text and email service that sends a notification seven (7) days before your appointment with the date and time reserved. This allows you to confirm the details entered in your calender match your reservation. Follow the instructions in the message to confirm or contact us if changes are needed. If no response is received, or the response does not match the instructions, additional reminders may be sent.
We understand you’re busy, and our patients usually honor their commitments. Therefore, we avoid sending multiple reminder calls. If we don’t receive a response through the automated service, we will make one attempt to contact you two business days before your appointment, using a phone number you provide. Please make sure this number is one where you can be reached or where we can leave a message. If the line is busy or unavailable, our team will not make repeated attempts.
Please do not rely on a call from our team as confirmation—it’s a courtesy reminder only. Your appointment is confirmed at the time you make it.
Priority List
For patients with unpredictable schedules due to work or health reasons, we offer a Priority List for short-notice appointments. If you’d like to be added, please let our team know. When a short-notice opening becomes available, we will contact you, and you can either accept or decline. If you’re waiting for an opening, please respond promptly to avoid worsening any dental concerns.
Specialist Referrals
Most dental procedures can be successfully treated at our office. However, we reserve the right to refer you to a dental specialist for treatment. We refer only to specialists who we believe will provide excellent patient care.
Our referrals are based solely on your dental needs, not on insurance benefit networks. We cannot determine if a specialist participates in your dental plan or what your costs may be at another practice.
Guests in Treatment Areas
You are welcome to accompany your child during their dental visit, but please do not touch or allow others to tamper with the equipment in the treatment rooms. Due to space limitations, only one guest is permitted in the treatment area alongside the patient.
If a patient is accompanied by a parent or friend, we ask that the patient be allowed to interact directly with the providers. While comments from guests are usually intended to be helpful, they can create confusion and fear in the dental setting, especially for young patients. Comments or questions directed at pediatric patients are designed to distract and calm them, not necessarily to elicit important information. If you accompany a patient into the treatment area, please respond only to questions specifically directed to you. Siblings are generally not helpful as guests during treatment.
During sedation and surgical appointments, our operatories may be too small to accommodate guests due to the increased amount of equipment and staff required. For these appointments, we ask guests to wait in the waiting room to ensure a safer treatment environment for the patient being treated.
THANK YOU
We appreciate your understanding of these important matters. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact us so we can listen and discuss them with you.
Read Our Testimonials
Community Involvement
The Merrimack Smiles team not only works in Merrimack and its surrounding communities we live here too. We are committed to improving and supporting the health and wellness of not only our patient family but of our local communities as well. We have had the opportunity to support many local organizations that are important to our team members, patients and our communities, and hope to continue our support for many years to come.
We love meeting and speaking with our community members and patients, and take every opportunity we can to do so. You can find us at local health fairs, school classrooms, and local groups providing trusted and expert knowledge about your oral health and care. Like and follow us on facebook (please link to it) so you can join us at our next event.
The McKenzie Lowe Foundation
We believe strongly in giving back, supporting and strengthen the community that we live, work and love. While we are not always able to be a supporting member of everything we certainty are unable support what we don’t know. If you have an event or organization that you believe would benefit from our practice’s involvement please let us know why, by sending an email to Contact@merrimacksmiles.com.
