Southwind Dental Care - Timothy Messer, D.M.D. | Mark S. Smith, D.D.S.

Cosmetic and Restorative Dentistry at Southwind Dental Care

If you feel your smile could use some improvement, Southwind Dental Care has the solution. Dr. Timothy Messer and Dr. Mark Smith offer many procedures designed to repair, brighten, or otherwise enhance your teeth.

Teeth Whitening

Even with routine brushing and flossing, once-white teeth can lose their luster and fade to yellow or brown over time. Fortunately, however, modern teeth whitening treatments allow patients to restore brilliance to their smiles. Southwind Dental Care is pleased to offer Zoom!® teeth whitening, available as both an in-office procedure and a convenient at-home treatment. The Zoom!® Chairside Whitening System uses a hydrogen peroxide-based gel and special lamp that brighten teeth, on average, ten shades in just one hour. The Zoom!® Weekender kit allows you to whiten your teeth at your convenience - we set you up with the kit and a set of customized trays, and you do the rest on your own time and from the comfort of your own home.

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Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers offer a durable, natural-looking way to conceal chips, cracks, discoloration, and other cosmetic flaws in teeth. In this treatment, one of our dentists' first buffs off a thin layer of enamel; then, a custom-crafted layer of porcelain, shaped to exact specifications in a dental laboratory, is bonded to the tooth. Porcelain mimics the translucence of enamel, so your new veneers will look and feel like natural teeth. Plus, these veneers are strong and highly resistant to stains, which means your teeth will look better for longer. Contact Southwind Dental Care for further information about porcelain veneers.

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Dental Bonding

For a quicker alternative to veneers, our dentists can use dental bonding to cover cosmetic damage to teeth. Prior to the procedure, our dentists select a resin that is colored specifically to match that of your surrounding natural teeth. They then apply the resin to improve the appearance of the targeted tooth or teeth and shape it to complement the rest of your smile. The doctor polishes the resin to complete the process and give you a gleaming smile. In most cases, dental bonding will require only a single office visit.

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Orthodontic Aligners

To straighten crooked teeth without the trouble of traditional metal braces, Southwind Dental Care offers Invisalign® orthodontic aligners. Our dentists use plastic molds and computer imaging programs to create a series of custom aligners - each aligner is worn over a two-week period, removed only to eat and clean your teeth, and then switched out for a new one. This process takes about the same amount of time as traditional braces, though with much less inconvenience.

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Tooth-Colored Fillings

With the advent of durable, long-lasting resins, Southwind Dental Care can now offer fillings that blend in with the rest of your teeth. They function as well as metal fillings, but contain no mercury and result in inconspicuous restorations. Unlike traditional fillings, these composite fillings fix themselves directly to the affected tooth, creating a strong, resilient bond.

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Porcelain Crowns

Our dentists can place a porcelain crown, or "cap," over a tooth that has been damaged or has decayed. Using CEREC® digital imaging, our dentists can create a custom-made crown while you wait and place it over a damaged tooth, all within a single office visit. These minor repairs help not only your appearance, but the function of your teeth as well. Your teeth will be stronger with their new porcelain outer layers, and will remain strong – our porcelain crowns can last for years or even decades with proper care. Our dentists also use porcelain crowns as a subtle way to hold dental bridges in place, or, similar to a porcelain veneer, to beautify specific teeth. As with the dental bonding process, the porcelain is colored to match the surrounding teeth, allowing you walk out of our office with a great smile.

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Dental Bridges

To fill the space where a tooth is missing, our dentists can create an artificial tooth and anchor it to the natural teeth on either side of the gap. By "bridging" this gap, we ensure that your teeth do not shift to fill the space and that your appearance is maintained. All of the bridges from Southwind Dental Care are custom-made for each individual patient, and we work to make sure they look and feel natural.

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Inlays and Onlays

Dental inlays and onlays are both porcelain restorations used to repair and protect the actual chewing surface of a tooth. A dental inlay is a covering that our dentists use to repair damage within the cusps, or top projections, of a tooth. Called inlays because they are fitted into the crevices of the tooth, they can sometimes be used to repair and seal older fillings. Outlays, on the other hand, are porcelain coverings that lay on top of the cusps of the tooth and are used to treat more extensive decay that affects a wider area of the tooth. Both inlays and onlays serve a purpose similar to crowns and fillings, namely, repairing teeth that have been damaged and preventing more decay. These porcelain coverings strengthen teeth by 50 to 75 percent while sealing out bacteria that can cause further harm. Southwind Dental Care uses CEREC® technology to ensure precision in shaping the porcelain inlays and outlays, which can last for 30 years or more if cared for properly.

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Dental Implants

To replace missing teeth, dentists have several options. One of the most permanent solutions currently available is dental implants, which use the unique properties of titanium to actually implant a replacement tooth into the patient's mouth. First, a thin coping of the metal is implanted in the jawbone; over the next few months, the bone actually fuses with the titanium to form an extremely strong bond. An artificial tooth is then attached to the titanium root, creating a durable, natural looking replacement for the missing tooth. Though this process takes longer than designing traditional, removable dentures and bridges, it is often more durable due to the titanium root.

Dentures

Instead of dental implant surgery, many of our patients choose dentures to replace missing teeth. Southwind Dental Care offers both partial and full dentures, depending on the needs of the patient, and custom-crafts each set around the unique needs and goals of the patient. Our dentures are made of the highest-quality materials available, so that you will be able to eat, speak, and smile with confidence.

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Smile Makeover

Some patients may require a combination of procedures that we offer to achieve their perfect smile. Our dentists will use their expertise to work with you and design a customized smile makeover plan, listening closely to your needs and goals ensure that you get the results you want. Contact the offices of Dr. Mark Smith and Dr. Timothy Messer today to schedule a consultation.

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Southwind Dental Care
7842 Players Club Pkwy, W.,
Memphis, TN 38119
Phone: 866-309-9007

Office Hours
M-F 8:30am-6:00pm
Sat. 8:30am-1:00pm