Dr. Dean Lankford

Dentist in Houston, TX

Headshot of Dr. Dean Lankford smiling in a blue plaid blazer against a dark grey background Dr. Dean Lankford has wanted to be a dentist since he was four years old in Long Beach, Mississippi. That early calling never faded. Raised around woodworking with his grandfather, he learned the value of craftsmanship, patience, and doing things the right way—principles that still shape the way he practices dentistry today. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida, graduating magna cum laude (Go Gators!), then headed north to Boston University for dental school, where he again graduated magna cum laude. While there, he was among the first students certified in CAD/CAM technology and among the first student class certified in Invisalign. Both have remained central to the precise, modern care he provides.

After dental school, Dr. Lankford moved to Houston and soon completed an accelerated postgraduate certificate in orthodontics. He later served as an orthodontic instructor and became an international speaker for companies including Philips, Zila, Dentsply, and Kuraray, teaching on laser dentistry, 3D printing, esthetic dentistry, TMJ and bite-related concerns, and biomimetic dentistry. He has also served as a presiding chair of the Yankee Dental Congress in Boston, one of the nation’s largest dental meetings. Dr. Lankford is a provider for the NFL Invisalign program and was among the first dentists in Texas to adopt the latest CEREC CAD/CAM technology. After serving as clinical director of a large Houston-area practice, he opened Memorial Family Dental in 2014 so he could care for patients the way he believes dentistry should be done: personally, precisely, and with a commitment to continual learning.

Outside the office, family comes first. He and his wife, Carri, have two sons, Colton and Wesley, and a daughter, Elise. When he is not thinking about dentistry, you will still find him woodworking, working with lasers, spending time with cattle on his ranch, or target shooting. And if you ask him about any of it—dentistry included—he is always happy to talk.