By Becky Andrews
2014 was a big year for Dr (Retired USAF Colonel) Paul and Elaine Nawiesniak. After an impressive military dental career that spanned nearly three decades and moves to eight different bases; including one in Japan, Dr. Nawiesniak decided it was time to retire and begin a new adventure right here in Wilson County.
While military service certainly enabled Dr. Nawiesniak and his family to travel many roads, there was one road he had not taken; private practice. “We had visited middle Tennessee several times and fell in love with this area. So, it made sense to concentrate our search for a practice opportunity in Tennessee. We explored several options before deciding to purchase the thriving dental practice of the now retired Dr. Wayne Johnson in Lebanon.” Dr. Nawiesniak continues, “Lebanon has both small-town charm and the potential for growth that made it the perfect choice for us.”
Patriot Dental (the name, an homage to Nawiesniak’s; military background) opened for business on June 14, 2014. His time in the Air Force gave Dr. Nawiesniak training and education that enables him to offer the best possible care to patients. He earned his undergrad in Biology from Loyola in Chicago and completed dental school at Northwestern University in Chicago. While in the Air Force Dr. Nawiesniak was selected to attend their two-year Advanced General Dentistry Residency Program. Upon finishing, he became certified with the American Board of General Dentistry. After more than 1200 hours of continuing education, Dr. Nawiesniak became a Fellow and then a Master of the Academy of General Dentistry. An impressive fete considering only 2% of all dentists carry this designation. In fact, he is the only dentist in Wilson County who is certified by the American Board of General Dentistry.
Dr. Nawiesniak works side by side with his wife of 27 years, Elaine. In addition to her duties as office manager, Elaine is a Registered Nurse and an accomplished photographer.
While Patriot Dental initially started out occupying the same space as Johnson Family Dentistry, as their patient list grew- thanks to word of mouth and the Nawiesniak’s community involvement- it was clear that they needed more room. “Our goal when we purchased the practice was to move to a new office within five years and we were able to do that ahead of schedule.” The Nawiesniak’s renovated an existing retail space located in Signature Place on the west side of Lebanon.
Their new state of the art facility provides patients with a comfortable, modern home-like environment. Elaine says their new space is a win/win. “We upgraded most of our equipment to reflect the digital age and are constantly striving to make changes that both improve our patient experience and make our staff’s jobs easier.”
As the dental industry continues to evolve, along with technology and advanced education, Dr. Nawiesniak says patient focus is essential now more than ever. “Our goal is to meet patient’s where they are in their dental needs and work with them to achieve the best possible outcomes for their oral health.” Dr. Nawiesniak continues, “We recognize that not everyone has always had access to dental care and may be embarrassed to seek care. We find helping these patients to be particularly rewarding. To help those who don’t have dental benefits we offer an in-house discount plan that is focused on preventative care which we emphasize in our office”.
With more than 100 years of experience between them, Dr. Nawiesniak and his staff are eager to meet all your dental needs. Stop by to visit them at their brand-new location, 99 Signature Pl, Lebanon, TN 37087
Our front desk receptionist, Beth Williams, has lived in Lebanon her entire life. She always has a smile on her face and has the best laugh! She has over 20 years’ experience in dealing with the always challenging insurance issues that arise daily and is an amazing multi-tasker! She does her best to help our patients manage their benefits to their maximum. She keeps everyone humming along. We affectionately refer to as our Queen “B”.
Our lead hygienist, Jace Crooks, is the perfect fit for our office. She is originally from Minot ND which was one of Dr. Nawiesniak’s prior duty stations in the Air Force, so he bonded with her instantly over stories of life in freezing weather, ice fishing and her fun North Dakota expressions. She received her hygiene training at Tennessee State University and has been a hygienist for 15 years. Her attention to detail and genuine care for our patients make her an asset to our office. Our other hygienist, Debbie Page, came to us searching for a privately-owned dental practice to work part-time in after she and her husband Mark moved to Lebanon from Ohio. She brings over 20 years of experience. Both of our hygienists have helped us grow our practice thru education that emphasizes preventive care.
Our lead assistant, Andrea Griffin, received her training at Nashville Staff and is an expanded duties assistant with over 20 years of experience. Andrea has a talent for making patients feel comfortable. She and her husband Mark live in Antioch and are planning to eventually relocate to Lebanon. She loves music, craft beer, and fishing. She’s also a die-hard Alabama fan but don’t hold that against her!
Our newest team member is assistant Miranda Walker. Miranda is from Lebanon and is a graduate of Vol State University. She and her husband just purchased their first new house in Hartsville. We call her the Swiss Army Knife of our office. She does whatever needs doing in our office and always with a servant’s heart.
Dr. Nawiesniak›s wife, Elaine, is our office manager and marketing director. Elaine is originally from Louisiana and is an emergency room trained RN. Her military spouse philosophy has always been to «Bloom Where You are Planted» and she has done her best to embrace Wilson County as our forever home. She is a member of the Lebanon Noon Rotary Club where she serves as Sergeant at Arms, she is on the membership committee for the Lebanon Wilson Chamber of Commerce and is the Treasurer for Wilson One, a local woman›s networking group that focuses on community service. She is a graduate of Leadership Wilson Class of 2018.
***Our services include general restorative dentistry using tooth-colored filling material and all ceramic crowns and bridges, cosmetic dentistry including veneers, teeth whitening, root canal therapy, periodontal therapy for treating gum disease, extractions, and implant restoration, as well as partials and dentures.***