CallataGuidesBusiness phone system for dental offices in Maine
457 dental offices operated in Maine in 2023. Where they are, how big their teams are, and what phone service costs them.
- Establishments
- 457CBP 2023
- Employees
- 4,205mid-March 2023
- Per 100k residents
- 32.5U.S. 39.9
- State rank
- 43rd of 51by count
Dental offices in Maine by the numbers
County Business Patterns counts 457 establishments in Maine classified as Offices of Dentists (NAICS 621210) for 2023. They employed 4,205 people in mid-March and reported $295.2 million in annual payroll. That is the 43rd highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Dental offices make up 1.1% of the 43,345 business establishments in the state.
Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Maine has 32.5 dental offices, 18.5% below the national rate of 39.9. The average establishment has 9.2 employees against 7.6 nationally. Payroll per employee is $70,199, 15.6% above the U.S. figure of $60,718.
| Measure | Maine | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Establishments | 457 | 135,665 |
| Mid-March employees | 4,205 | 1,028,889 |
| Annual payroll | $295,188,000 | $62,471,602,000 |
| Employees per establishment | 9.2 | 7.6 |
| Payroll per employee | $70,199 | $60,718 |
| Establishments per 100,000 residents | 32.5 | 39.9 |
Census County Business Patterns 2023 (mid-March employment; annual payroll). Employees and payroll flagged high-noise are shown but not used in the text. Residents: Census Vintage 2024 estimates.
Where dental offices in Maine are concentrated
Census published dental office counts for 4 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Maine. The largest is Portland, ME, with 214 establishments. Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 75% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.
| Area | Establishments | Employees | Per 100k residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland, ME | 214 | 2,094 | 37.4 |
| Bangor, ME | 53 | 524 | 33.8 |
| Augusta, ME | 51 | 511 | 39.7 |
| Lewiston, ME | 24 | 276 | 20.8 |
Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023; population from Census Vintage 2024 estimates.
Team sizes at dental offices in Maine
22.8% of Maine's dental offices with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 37.7% nationally. 61.7% had fewer than ten. At that size the phone is shared, so routing (who rings, when, and what happens after hours) matters more than the number of desk phones.
| Employment size | Establishments | Share | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–4 employees | 104 | 22.8% | 37.7% |
| 5–9 employees | 178 | 38.9% | 35.4% |
| 10–19 employees | 144 | 31.5% | 22.0% |
| 20–49 employees | 28 | 6.1% | 4.5% |
| 50 or more employees | 3 | 0.7% | 0.4% |
Employment-size classes count establishments by mid-March 2023 employment. Establishments with no March employees are excluded from the size classes, so shares are of establishments with employees. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.
Calls a dental office in Maine has to catch
Dental appointments are booked, moved and confirmed by phone, and a new patient whose call goes unanswered can simply dial the next practice on the list. Front desks also juggle insurance questions and hygiene recalls while patients are standing at the counter. That holds for dental offices in Maine as much as anywhere.
A few of the calls that come in to dental offices in Maine:
- A new patient calls to ask whether the practice accepts their insurance plan.
- A parent calls to reschedule two children's appointments around school.
- The front desk calls a list of patients who are overdue for a cleaning.
What dental offices text about
Dental front desks text appointment confirmations, reschedule requests and simple directions to the office.
Texting from a local number in Maine requires carrier registration (10DLC), a one-time $49 fee on Callata.
What a phone system costs a dental office in Maine
Dental offices in Maine average 9.2 employees, so the comparison uses a 9-person team. On a per-user plan that headcount sets the bill: $224.55 a month on Ooma Office Pro or $270.00 on RingCentral RingEX Core at list price (checked September 28, 2026). Callata comes to $179.00 a month for 9 users ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), below both.
Over a year, that is $1,092 less than RingCentral for a dental office in Maine of that size. Annual contracts lower some competitors' prices, so compare the plan you would actually sign.
| Provider (plan) | Pricing basis | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Callata (Callata Office) | $99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user | $179.00 | $2,148.00 |
| Quo (Starter) | $19.00 per user | $171.00 | $2,052.00 |
| Nextiva (Core) | $23.00 per user | $207.00 | $2,484.00 |
| Ooma (Office Pro) | $24.95 per user | $224.55 | $2,694.60 |
| Dialpad (Standard) | $27.00 per user | $243.00 | $2,916.00 |
| RingCentral (RingEX Core) | $30.00 per user | $270.00 | $3,240.00 |
Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.
Area codes in Maine
Maine has 1 geographic area code in service according to NANPA. Callata includes up to 3 local numbers, so a dental office can hold a number in more than one of them.
| Area code | Exchanges | Time zone | In service since | Overlay with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 207 | 742 | Eastern | 1947 | none |
Exchanges are NANPA-assigned central office codes (NPA-NXX) in the rate centers matched to the area's named places. Source: NANPA utilized code and NPA reports.
How Callata works for dental offices in Maine
Callata is a business phone system priced at $99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user. Callata Office includes up to 3 local business numbers, unlimited inbound calling, 1,500 pooled outbound US and Canada minutes per user each month, a browser softphone that can also ring your cell, voicemail with transcription, call recording with AI summaries, business-hours routing and E911 on every number.
Porting a number you already use in Maine is free, and business texting is available once the carrier registration (10DLC) is approved; the registration carries a one-time $49 fee. Which specific numbers are open in a given area code depends on carrier inventory at the time you sign up.
AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.
Practices that handle protected health information should review their own privacy obligations before recording calls, enabling AI summaries or texting appointment details, and keep clinical conversations out of text messages unless their policies allow it.
Frequently asked questions
How many dental offices are in Maine?
457 in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns. They employed 4,205 people in mid-March.
Which Maine metro area has the most dental offices?
Portland, ME, with 214 establishments in 2023.
What does a phone system cost a 9-person dental office?
$270.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core or $224.55 on Ooma Office Pro at month-to-month list prices (checked September 28, 2026); $179.00 on Callata ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user).
Do I need to register to text customers from a Maine number?
Yes. US carriers require business texting from local numbers to be registered (10DLC). On Callata the registration is a one-time $49 fee, and texting turns on once it is approved.