A Personal Interview
Q: What are the varied services you offer at Unicare Center for Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry, in addition to general dentistry?
Noie: In addition to general dentistry, we are able to offer our patients:
• Oral surgical services such as extraction of simple or complicated wisdom teeth, guided hard (bone) and soft tissue (gum, connective tissue) regeneration and repair
• Deep IV sedation, available for all procedures as needed
• Surgical placement and restoration of dental implants
• Sinus lift and jaw bone rehabilitation
• Cosmetic focused dentistry
• Adolescent and adult orthodontics, both traditional and invisible braces
• Root canal therapy using the latest CT 3D-scanning technology
Q: What can your patients expect as far as the experience in your office?
Noie: They can expect a warm and friendly environment, smiling faces and the most advanced equipment and technology available. We offer all our new patients a complimentary 3-D CT-scan of oral-maxillofacial if needed. They can also expect to receive all their dental needs from initial examination, to orthodontics, simple and complex dental restorations, cosmetic and smile makeover, dental implants, and guided bone and soft tissue regeneration, as well as routine check ups and examinations under one roof while resting comfortably in an IV-sedation induced deep sleep. Our dental hygienist, Laurie, is by far the best hygienist with whom I have had the pleasure of working. We are also able to file our patients’ surgical procedures such as dental implants with their major medical insurance as well as dental insurance.
Q: In researching your practice and background for this article, we discovered that you have a huge breadth of educational experiences. Will you tell us a bit about that road and how you came to fulfill your passion in cosmetic and implant dentistry?
Noie: It all started during my senior year at UT Dental School. I have never been a fan of pure memorization without complete understanding. While dental school had a comprehensive training curriculum on subject matters such as restorative dentistry, root canal therapy, and simple extractions, it offered limited hands-on training in other subjects such as invasive surgical and periodontal procedures, orthodontic therapy, TMJ dysfunction, and artistic restoration of the cosmetic zone (smile zone). After completing the limited orthodontic hands-on required training, I realized that I still didn’t feel fully comfortable with the subject matter. While understanding a concept gives you hypothetical knowledge, practicing that knowledge will lead to experience and eventually a thorough understanding.
When I graduated, I turned my attention to orthodontics, the subject to which I had the least exposure during doctoral training. After completing a two-year postdoctoral training in orthodontics, I gained the understanding that I was after. I then continued my postdoctoral training in cosmetic and rehabilitation for severely compromised cases to further my understanding in that field. I trained with L.D. Pankey Institute for Dental Excellence until I felt fully competent in cosmetic, TMJ dysfunction, and full mouth rehabilitation.
By that time dental implants began to make their way into mainstream dentistry and offered what I viewed as the “missing piece of the puzzle” for a truly comprehensive dentistry. Before dental implants, dentists were forced to replace the missing teeth by grinding down at least two healthy teeth and connecting them together like a choo choo train. Or they could offer removable teeth that were uncomfortable to chew with and gradually eroded the teeth used for clasp. I initially referred my patients to oral surgeons for surgical placement of the dental implants. After a few cases, I realized that a thorough understanding of both surgical and restorative fields is needed, not only during the restorative phase, but also the surgical phase. The only logical solution for me was additional training in oral maxillofacial surgery.
That decision sent me on a five-year postdoctoral surgical training. I also completed my oral anesthesiology training during that period. I finally was able to put all the pieces together and offer my patients a truly comprehensive treatment plan. There is an old saying; “to a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” Let’s just say I prefer to carry some screwdrivers and pliers in my toolbox as well. My multi-discipline training has allowed me to become a more efficient diagnostician and practitioner. But more importantly, being able to offer a wide range of specialty services allows me to meet the oral needs of my patients and all their family members from teenagers all the way into their senior years.
Q: You are a published author and write articles on many topics other than dentistry, a true Renaissance man. Does your passion for new thoughts and information help you relate to your patients in a unique way?
Noie: Actually, it does. I believe all people are multi-dimensional. Sometimes conventional wisdom leads us to judge the book by the cover. Only when we look deeper, we realize there are always many more layers. In my case, when I realized that I had unique views on certain topics, I decided to put them in writing. Over time I am learning to better express my thoughts and ideas in words. The same mentality also helps me when I interact with my patients. A thorough clinical examination and review of radiographs and lab results are crucial to a proper diagnosis, but they are not the only things that should be considered. We must never forget to look at the person as a whole and discover all the dimensions that make each and every one of us unique.
Q: Would you describe your work as that of an artist?
Noie: I learned a long time ago that the alternative to really loving what you do, especially what you do everyday, is being miserable and unfulfilled. In my opinion life is too short to choose a path that we don’t love. Pursuing our passion (no matter what it might be) turns any craft into an art and unleashes the artist in us.
Q: Besides making people healthy, beautiful, and pain free, what are some of your areas of community involvement in Bay Area Houston?
Noie: I subscribe to the belief that it’s best to “Give your gifts in private” (Matthew 6:4). I however, would like to use this platform to announce that I am currently working with “Relief Network Ministries” to organize a medical mission trip to Africa toward the end of September 2012. They welcome any healthcare professional who is willing to volunteer his or her time and can afford the trip cost for a period of seven to ten days. For more information please visit: www.relief-networks.org.
Q: It’s your turn. What would you like to tell our readers about yourself from hobbies to skills to adventures and more?
Noie: Besides pursuing my passions for excellence in my craft, lecturing and sharing my knowledge with other colleagues, and writing, I am busy raising my two beautiful girls, Nikki (11), and Hanna (8). We love water sports and bicycling in the summer and skiing during winter.
Unicare Center for Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry is located at 20814 Gulf Freeway, Suite 40, Webster, TX 75598; 281.332.4700; www.drnoie.com.
I see a dentist that put implants (not wearing teeth yet) on July 31st. My temporary teeth don’t fit right. Last time I saw that dentist was on July 31st. Asking you if you can help me fix this?
Appreciate your reply. Thanks