From Air Force Captain to Leading Surgeon: Texas Doctor Reveals Road to Success

Fort Worth, TX, November 3, 2014 (Newswire.com) - Most health professionals dedicate a significant portion of their life to schooling and building their career in medicine, leaving little time to pursue other career interests. While Fred A. Loe, DDS, of North Tarrant Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery always knew he wanted to pursue a career in oral and maxillofacial surgery, there was a huge piece of him he knew was missing. Through some unique opportunities that were presented to him, Dr. Loe was given the chance to not only fulfill his dream of becoming one of the leading oral surgeons in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, but also to serve in the United States Air Force (USAF) – an experience that afforded him the discipline and professionalism that has helped his career flourish.

Today, Dr. Loe is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who performs a number of procedures for his patients in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, including dental implants, the All-on-Four Procedure, dental extractions, bone grafting, and others. However, the road to earning this position was an arduous one. While in professional school, Dr. Loe enrolled in the Air Force and quickly became a captain after graduating from an “Early Commissioning” program. By paying his own way through school, he was designated as an “inactive reservist,” which granted him time to complete dental training before he fully enlisted in the Air Force. While studying to become an oral surgeon, he was then accepted into an oral and maxillofacial surgery residency program and given a three-year deferment. It was at this time that he was forced to make a critical life-changing decision: make a career in oral surgery or stay in the Air Force.

After completing his residency, he began two weeks of officers training for doctors at Shepard Air Force Base (AFB) in Wichita Falls, Texas, and then continued on to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Hospital and Dental Clinic in Tucson, Arizona. During his assignment there, he used the hospital as a training ground to conduct a broad scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery procedures, and to practice out-patient surgery in the dental clinic.

It was during this time that his passion for the field grew even more and he knew he was destined to serve a greater purpose. Dr. Loe began teaching young dentists to practice the oral surgery procedures that they would be assigned to after completing their internships in their respective specialty areas at Davis Monthan AFB. At the same time, Dr. Loe dedicated himself to preparing and planning to take the board certification by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery by February of 1977. After completing all requirements, he became a Diplomate of the board by March of that year.

Those years of Air Force experience granted him the drive and discipline to pursue his career in oral and maxillofacial surgery, so he started his own oral surgery practice in his home state of New Mexico in July 1977. Now, Dr. Loe is an oral surgeon with a state-of-the-art facility in Fort Worth, TX (Saginaw), managing a wide variety of problems involving the soft tissue and bone in the mouth, jaw, and facial regions. For more information about Dr. Loe and North Tarrant Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, visit www.northtarrantoms.com.

About Fred A. Loe, DDS

Dr. Fred A. Loe graduated from the University of Missouri School of Dentistry after attending the University of New Mexico. He obtained his oral surgery residency at the University of Louisiana Medical Center at Shreveport, Louisiana. Dr. Loe was a United States Air Force Major stationed at Davis Monthan AFB Hospital in Tucson, Arizona, with oral surgical responsibilities and duties for two years. Dr. Loe has over 30 years of practice experience plus faculty experience at Louisiana State University.

Dr. Fred A. Loe is a member of many dental and oral surgery organizations, including the Southwest, North Texas, and American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. He strongly believes in dental ties to medical conditions and is cognizant of how important general medical and dental health interrelate. Dr. Loe and his staff firmly believe in education and informing the patients in pre-surgical and post-surgical care. Dr. Fred A. Loe specializes in the removal of wisdom teeth, placement of implants, bone grafts, and biopsies but enjoys all aspects of oral surgery. Dr. Loe is also a participating dental surgeon in the Texas Dentists for Healthy Smiles program.