Our Team
We know that our office is only as effective and as welcoming as the people who work in it. We we take pride in our friendly and well-trained team members! As a team, we are especially interested in making all our patients feel right at home! We put your needs first to achieve efficient and comprehensive treatment in a supportive and nurturing environment. We promise to speak candidly with you about possible treatments as well as any risks and associated costs of treatment, and how treatment can address your individual needs as a patient.
About Our Dentist
Dr. Paul Nawiesniak is a retired Colonel from the United States Air Force with 28 years of service, but before we go any further please feel free to call him Dr. Paul! He totally gets that his name can be a tongue twister. Hint: It rhymes with “Needs-a-Snack” (Na-weez-nee-ak) and he is without a doubt a frequent snacker so it fits!
Education:
- Undergrad Bachelor of Science in Biology from Loyola University in Chicago
- Dental School: Northwestern University in Chicago
- Residency: Two year Air Force advanced general dentistry at Lackland AFB in San Antonio TX
- Board Certified Comprehensive Care Dentist
- Certified by the American Board of General Dentistry – Successful completion of written and oral board examination
- Master of the Academy of General Dentistry. To become an AGD Master, a dentist must:
- Complete over 1,100 credit hours of Continuing Education
- Earn 400 of those 1,100 credits in hands-on courses
- Pass an exam equal in difficulty to board certification exams
Whew! That’s a lot of education! We seldom see him without a dental journal or article in hand. Dr. Nawiesniak considers himself a lifelong learner and dentistry is his passion.
Military Career
Dr. Nawiesniak enjoyed a long military career which included assignments to Louisiana, Japan, Texas, North Dakota, Georgia, Virginia and Maryland. During all of his years of service he never lost sight of what he was there for….taking care of patients and solving their dental problems. Dr. Paul maintained a chair-side presence at every assignment, even while serving as the Dental Flight Commander at Langley AFB.
Family and Passions
Upon military retirement, Dr. Paul and his family chose to live in a place where faith, family and community are strong. His family includes his wife of 26 years, Elaine, and their three grown children. The son of a tool and die maker, he learned how to work with his hands, fix almost anything and appreciate precision machinery. He loves dentistry because it combines all of this favorite things: biology, chemistry, and engineering. To top it off there is also a component of art to it as well! In his free time Dr. Nawiesniak enjoys boating/fishing and hunting pheasant (he’s a pretty good shot, he was captain of his rifle team in college!).
Philosophy
Dr. Nawiesniak’s core philosophy is to always treat people the way he would want someone to treat him or his family. His Air Force Values of Integrity, Service and Excellence are the foundation of everything he believes.
Dr Paul is always happy to meet new patients and make new friends! He hopes to meet you soon!