Cosmetic dentistry in Nashville sits in a narrow professional tier defined less by general restorative volume and more by the disciplines that govern smile design, anterior aesthetics, and full-mouth rehabilitation. The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry counts fewer than 400 Accredited Members worldwide, an exam-based credential requiring a written board, an oral defense, and a juried submission of five clinical case types ranging from direct composite veneers to porcelain veneer rehabilitation and implant-supported anterior restorations. Tennessee fields a small cohort of these Accredited Members, and the three practices below represent the cosmetic-focused operators in the Nashville market: anterior porcelain veneers in feldspathic or pressed lithium disilicate (e.max IPS Empress), conservative no-prep veneer protocols, full-mouth reconstruction sequenced across diagnostic, foundational, and definitive phases, and the occlusal disciplines (Dawson, Kois, Pankey) that distinguish smile-design dentistry from general restorative care.
The three firms below differ from sector 066 general dentists by primary clinical orientation. Each holds AACD Accredited Member status, each has documented anterior veneer and smile-makeover case volume, and each carries the postgraduate continuing-education footprint that the credential requires.
Quick Comparison #
| Firm | Credentials | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas Nabors III, DDS | AACD Accredited since February 2006, University of Tennessee College of Dentistry graduate, identified as Nashville-proper AACD Accredited Member. | Prepless and minimally invasive porcelain veneers, anterior smile design, full-arch rehabilitation, Invisalign, laser periodontal therapy. |
| Nashville Aesthetic Dentistry | Dr. Dennis J. Wells, AACD Accredited 1994 with associates Drs. Weese, Bateman, and King, AACD juried examiner role. | DURAthin and Micro-thin no-prep veneers, full-mouth reconstruction sequencing, all-ceramic crowns, implant-supported restorations. |
| David Wickness, DMD | AACD Accredited Member and FAGD Fellow, Dawson Academy postgraduate restorative coursework. | Smile makeovers, porcelain veneers, ClearCorrect alignment, lithium-disilicate and zirconia crowns, All-on-4 rehabilitation, TMJ workup. |
1. Thomas Nabors III, DDS #
Address: 401 Church Street, Suite 910, Nashville, TN 37219
Phone: (615) 256-1600
Thomas Nabors III, DDS earned American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry Accredited status in February 2006, the credential that requires successful juried review of a five-case Type II clinical submission spanning direct composite, single-unit porcelain, multi-unit porcelain veneer, and implant-restored anterior cases. Within the published AACD member directory the firm is identified as the only AACD-Accredited Member based in Nashville proper, a distinction that reflects the comparatively low population of Accredited Members nationally (fewer than 350 worldwide at the time of his accreditation).
Practice orientation and clinical focus #
Dr. Nabors completed undergraduate study at Mississippi State University and Lipscomb University before graduating from the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry. The practice operates from Suite 910 of 401 Church Street in downtown Nashville, occupying a single-location professional model rather than a multi-doctor group structure. Clinical work concentrates on anterior smile design with documented case volume in porcelain veneers, prepless veneers, and full-arch rehabilitation, supported by the occlusion-driven philosophy that the AACD juried examination requires its candidates to demonstrate.
Prepless and minimally invasive veneer protocols #
The practice maintains a dedicated prepless-veneer service line, a category of porcelain veneer fabricated at sub-0.3 mm thicknesses and bonded without enamel reduction. Prepless protocols rely on highly translucent feldspathic porcelain or pressed-ceramic systems and require specific case selection criteria (favorable arch form, minor crowding, conservative incisal positioning) that an Accredited Member is trained to evaluate. Dr. Nabors lectures and instructs continuing-education courses on these techniques to dentists nationally, reflected in his teaching profile with Smile Arte continuing-dental-education programming.
Service line range #
Beyond anterior cosmetic work the office provides general dentistry, Invisalign clear-aligner therapy, porcelain crowns and veneers, professional whitening, oral surgery procedures, laser periodontal therapy, TMJ disorder evaluation, sleep-apnea oral-appliance therapy, and pediatric dental care. The combined service model places the clinic in the category of cosmetic-led general dental practices rather than veneer-only boutique operations, allowing patients beginning with esthetic concerns to continue restorative and preventive care under one roof.
2. Nashville Aesthetic Dentistry #
Address: 105 Powell Court, Brentwood, TN 37027
Phone: (615) 371-8878
Nashville Aesthetic Dentistry, led by Dr. Dennis J. Wells with associates Dr. Daniel K. Weese, Dr. Jake Bateman, and Dr. Gray King, holds one of the longest AACD Accredited Member tenures in Tennessee. Dr. Wells received AACD Accredited status in 1994 and has served as a juried examiner for the AACD Accreditation review process, evaluating case submissions from candidates pursuing the same credential. The practice sits at 105 Powell Court in Brentwood, the south-Nashville suburb that adjoins the Davidson County line, and draws patients regionally and nationally for veneer-focused care.
DURAthin and Micro-thin veneer development #
Dr. Wells developed DURAthin and Micro-thin veneers, a no-prep, no-drill veneer protocol that preserves enamel by bonding ultra-thin porcelain laminates (typically 0.2 to 0.3 mm) over unaltered tooth structure. The technique addresses one of cosmetic dentistry’s longest-running debates: the trade-off between veneer aesthetics and enamel preservation. Conventional porcelain-veneer preparation removes 0.5 to 0.75 mm of facial enamel; the DURAthin protocol eliminates that reduction for properly selected cases, returning the option of reversibility that conventional veneers cannot offer. Dentists travel to Brentwood from across the United States to study the protocol directly with Dr. Wells.
Full-mouth reconstruction sequencing #
The practice handles full-mouth reconstruction cases that combine porcelain veneers, all-ceramic crowns, implant-supported restorations, and occlusal-vertical-dimension adjustment. Sequenced rehabilitation typically moves through diagnostic mounting and wax-up, foundational periodontal and endodontic therapy, provisionalization at the planned vertical dimension, and definitive porcelain placement. The four-doctor configuration permits clinical roles to specialize across diagnostic, restorative, and surgical components of multi-phase cases.
Veneer-adjacent service portfolio #
Service offerings include porcelain veneers and crowns, DURAthin and Micro-thin veneers, dental implants and implant-supported dentures, restorative and preventive dentistry, professional whitening, cosmetic dental bonding, tooth-colored fillings, complete and partial dentures, and emergency dental care. Dr. Wells additionally serves as the official dentist for the Miss Tennessee USA pageants, a public-facing role consistent with the high-visibility anterior aesthetic work the office handles.
3. David Wickness, DMD #
Address: 105 Kenner Avenue, Nashville, TN 37205
Phone: (615) 297-5090
David Wickness, DMD operates from 105 Kenner Avenue in West Nashville, holding both AACD Accredited Member status and Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry (FAGD) credentials. The Fellow designation requires 500 hours of approved continuing education plus a written examination, a credential held by approximately seven percent of practicing general dentists in the United States. Materials published by the office describe Dr. Wickness as one of eight AACD-Accredited cosmetic dentists in the state of Tennessee, placing him in the same narrow professional tier as Dr. Nabors and Dr. Wells.
Dawson Academy postgraduate training #
Dr. Wickness has completed postgraduate restorative coursework through the Dawson Academy, the occlusion-and-full-mouth-care continuing-education institution founded by Dr. Peter E. Dawson that trains dentists in centric-relation diagnostics, equilibration, and full-mouth rehabilitation sequencing. The published continuing-education record indicates the office maintains coursework volume at approximately triple the Tennessee Board of Dentistry’s minimum hour requirement, the kind of postgraduate commitment that the AACD Accreditation written examination assumes as baseline preparation.
Smile-makeover and reconstruction service lines #
The office handles smile makeovers that combine porcelain veneers, cosmetic bonding, and ClearCorrect aligner therapy to address simultaneous shade, alignment, and contour concerns. Single-tooth restorations move through porcelain crowns and onlays milled from lithium-disilicate or zirconia substrates. Full-mouth reconstruction protocols handle cases of marked attrition, congenitally missing dentition, or post-traumatic reconstruction, often sequenced alongside All-on-4 implant rehabilitation for arch-level edentulism. TMJ disorder evaluation rounds out the occlusion-related diagnostic workup that complex restorative cases require.
Service line summary #
The office provides smile makeovers, porcelain veneers, cosmetic dental bonding, ClearCorrect smile alignment, professional teeth whitening, dental implants, porcelain crowns and onlays, implant-supported dentures, All-on-4 implant rehabilitation, cosmetic dentures, full-mouth reconstruction, TMJ dentistry, and dental emergency care. Operating hours run Monday through Wednesday from 7 AM to 3 PM, Tuesday and Thursday from 7 AM to 4 PM, and Friday from 8 AM to 1 PM.
How the three differ #
The three offices share AACD Accredited Member status and overlap on porcelain veneers, smile makeovers, and full-mouth reconstruction, but separate cleanly on clinical orientation and location. Dr. Nabors operates the downtown Church Street office with the longest Nashville-proper Accredited Member tenure in the AACD directory and a published prepless-veneer teaching program. Dr. Wells anchors the Brentwood location with the earliest AACD Accreditation year (1994) and the DURAthin no-prep veneer protocol that has drawn out-of-state referrals for three decades. Dr. Wickness brings the Dawson Academy occlusion-centered postgraduate training plus FAGD Fellow credentials, operating in the West Nashville Kenner Avenue location with simultaneous coverage of cosmetic and complex restorative work. All three are appropriate first-tier options for veneers, smile design, or full-mouth rehabilitation in the Nashville market.
Selection Methodology #
Cosmetic dentistry diverges from the general-dentistry register because the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry Accredited Member status sits above the baseline TBOD license, so the filter for the practices above started at the AACD register rather than at the state board. Each lead clinician carries AACD Accredited Member or AACD Fellow status, holds Dawson Academy or Kois Center postgraduate restorative coursework on file, ties the office to a verifiable Davidson or Williamson County address with the lead doctor named on the door, and publishes a scope at the level cosmetic work requires (porcelain veneer protocol, lithium-disilicate and zirconia crown work, ClearCorrect or Invisalign aligner therapy, full-mouth reconstruction sequencing). Veneer-only retail outfits without an accredited dentist of record and high-turnover DSO branches were excluded.
Frequently Asked Questions #
Q: How do I verify a Nashville cosmetic dentistry practitioner holds the right credentials?
A: Use the Tennessee Department of Health Board of Dentistry license verification at health.tn.gov, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry Accredited Member directory at aacd.com, and the practice’s own credentialing page.
Q: What sets these three apart from the broader Nashville cosmetic dentistry field?
A: AACD Accredited Member status sits behind only a small fraction of dentists nationwide, and each office above either holds the credential directly or seats an Accredited Member on the chair-side roster. Beyond that filter, the practical separators are veneer case volume photographed in the practice’s own portfolio, ceramist lab relationships disclosed by name, and a smile-design workflow that includes a wax-up and trial smile rather than going straight to prep.
Q: Are any of the three practices paid placements?
A: No. The three profiles above are editorial selections drawn from publicly verifiable sources. No practice sponsored placement.
Q: How should I prepare for a first appointment?
A: Confirm in-network status with your insurer, bring photo ID and a list of current medications, and request the practice’s published new-patient intake forms in advance to streamline the first visit.
Editorial Note #
This guide was published on 2026-05-11 and reflects research current as of that date. Verify licenses, phone numbers, and current business status before engaging any firm.