Germantown, TN Drs and Health Practioners

In nearly every situation in life, the less metal that's in your mouth, the better. General and cosmetic dentist Dr. Michael A. Smith, DDS seems to have adopted this position. Unlike traditional dentistry, which repairs cavities with metal amalgams and covers up damaged teeth with conspicuous metal caps, Dr. Smith's Cerec-technology-driven dentistry relies on ceramic onlays, inlays, and veneers. And his composite resins fill in for missing enamel while remaining virtually invisible, like a ketchup stain on a red “I put ketchup on my ketchup” T-shirt.

Echoing this commitment to unobtrusive oral health is Dr. Christine H. Fitzgerald. A recent addition to the team, Dr. Fitzgerald brings with her the lessons that she learned during an award-filled stint at the University of Louisville School for Dentistry. Recognized for her work in endodontics, Dr. Fitzgerald also earns plaudits exhibits for the compassion and dedication that drove her to complete mission stints as far away as Honduras and as close as Pikeville, KY.

Between the two of them, Drs. Smith and Fitzgerald have more than three decades of experience. They care for patients in a calming office filled with soothing chairside candles. In addition to their in-office work, Dr. Smith also participates in a mobile dental clinic that provides dental care to low-income families.

Lead by medical director Gregory Laurence, Germantown Aesthetics’s team of trained specialists beautifies clients’ epidermal landscapes during noninvasive and surgical treatments. Germantown Aesthetics welcomes patients into a handsome, historic building raised in 1887 that now combines space-age lasers and medical equipment with the earth-toned décor and meticulous facial-hair grooming of the late 19th century. Within soothing treatment rooms, physician assistants and registered nurses work alongside Dr. Laurence to fill out wrinkles with Botox and Juvéderm, sculpt svelte waistlines with liposuction, and erase unwanted veins from the surface of legs with advanced laser treatments.

Dr. Mike Pulido obviously knows his stuff when it comes to general and cosmetic dentistry. The fluent Spanish speaker has more than 26 years of experience, has served as the president of the Memphis Dental Legion, and is a Premier Preferred Invisalign provider, which, according to the Invisalign website means he has “achieved a significant level of experience in treating patients with the Invisalign system.” But he also refuses to take himself too seriously.

His office motto is “We cater to cowards,” and he and his staff, including his office administrator and son, William, like to dress up as various dental-related things for Halloween, including a tooth fairy and toothpaste dispenser. It’s this relaxed manner and sense of humor that helps calm patients there for everything from dental implants to Zoom! teeth-whitening sessions, which erase stains caused by smoking, drinking wine, or taking the oil epithet "Texas tea" too literally.

Susan Earl, nurse practitioner and owner of The Fatigue Clinic, tackles drowsiness with a six-step process that takes into account hormone levels, underlying infections, and nutrition. Her other wellness services include helping clients lose weight with weight-loss shots, recommending appetite suppressants, and rigging ice-cream containers with car alarms.

Dr. Joel Rutledge DDS specializes in General Dentistry, and ensures that clients keep their chompers sparkling and healthy. Beyond General Dentistry he also specializes in procedures such as veneers and corrective services such as Invisalign.

From within a laid-back office with simple white walls and russet-red chiropractic tables, Dr. Benjamin Boston leads his staff in conducting holistic treatments to foster whole-body health. Chiropractic sessions attempt to straighten slacking spines with innovative correction techniques and exercises, which can be much more effective than stern lectures. The holistic gurus research and employ carefully calibrated nutrition supplements to promote peak health, and customized lifestyle-counseling sessions introduce patients to activities that add vigor to daily routines. In the reception area, leather seating ensconces waiting patients and portraits of Tuscan alleyways dot the walls of treatment rooms, encouraging patients to search for the elusive Waldo.