Dr. Laura Harkin
Your New Holland Dentist

Meet Dr. Laura Harkin

Both Dr. Laura Harkin’s father and grandfather found that dentistry was a career that enabled them to find balance and personal satisfaction both at home as well as within the community. Growing up in the light of such tremendous role-models, and motivated by admiration and respect, Dr. Laura Harkin embarked on an academic journey that would afford her the same rewarding and well-rounded lifestyle.

Dr. Harkin graduated Cum Laude from Franklin and Marshall College in 1999 with a major in mathematics and a minor in flute performance.  In 2008, she graduated from Temple University School of Dentistry and immediately began to live her dream as a family dentist.  Her value to the dental team was undeniable, as she shared her spirit for both compassion and perfection.

Laura Sheaffer Harkin, DMD
Laura Sheaffer Harkin, DMD

Dr. Harkin is an Advisor and Visiting Faculty for the LD Pankey Dental Foundation. As an Advisor, she serves the Board of Directors with a lasting commitment to upholding the mission of the Institute. In addition, Dr. Harkin was awarded designation as a Pankey Scholar in 2020. Less than 100 practitioners are granted this title – the two-year process entails patient casework and philosophical presentation to a scholar panel.

What is dentistry really all about?

Academic achievements aside, and with mentors whose expertise spanned two generations, there was an aspect of dentistry that Dr. Harkin would have to experience for herself. She discovered the rewards that came from witnessing the happiness on the faces of her patients as they regained their self-confidence following a cosmetic or restorative procedure. Those rewarding smiles have become the fuel that pushes her to continually hone her knowledge and skills in order to provide the most current, least invasive, and most effective treatment options for her patients.

It takes a great deal of commitment and dedication to remain professionally connected and continuously educated. Dr. Harkin was awarded her Academy of General Dentistry Mastership in 2016, an accomplishment requiring 1,100 hours of continuing education.

Additionally, Dr. Harkin was awarded her Lifelong Learning and Service Recognition (LLSR) in 2021.  This award is the highest with the AGD and follows the Masters award with an additional 500 hours of CE and 100 hours of community/volunteer service.

Here’s how Dr. Laura stays abreast:

The responsibility to serve the community is an ideal that was instilled early in life by Dr. Harkin’s father and grandfather. The dental team at Laura Sheaffer Harkin, DMD, actively participates with several service organizations, including Dental Access in Lancaster County; Missions of Mercy in PA., and the Water Street Rescue Mission. This sort of hands-on activism provides vital services to those in our community who may not otherwise receive adequate dental care.

Dr. Harkin serves on the Board of Trustees for the Lancaster Country Day School. Additionally, Dr. Harkin belongs to the New Holland Business Association, a local group of business owners charged with the revitalization of local business in New Holland.

Balance is the key

Outside of the clinical setting, Dr. Harkin displays her appreciation for the spice of life. She and her husband, Sean, and their children, Denis and Lianne, enjoy a happy home life, living in Lancaster.

To stay in shape, she enjoys tennis, and she expresses her appreciation for the fine arts as a talented flutist and pianist. Although very busy, Dr. Harkin is an avid reader and makes the most of her quiet time by enjoying a good book.

Harkin Family