Michael Nugent, D.D.S
Pasadena, Texas: Dr. Michael Nugent DDS
My Father was in the Air Force and was transferred to Lubbock, Texas when I was one year old. I went to public school in Lubbock and completed my undergraduate studies at Texas Tech University. I received a Bachelor of Science in Zoology with minors in Chemistry and German. To further my education I moved to Houston where I attended The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston and received a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree.
I have been married to my wonderful and amazing wife Beth for twelve years. Beth is a physician at M.D. Anderson where she is board certified in Radiology and in Nuclear Medicine. We have two little girls at home that are wonderful and amazing.
In my spare time I LOVE to ride dirt bikes. I started riding dirt bikes when I was 28 and have been addicted ever since. I love riding and working on my bikes. Check out my dirtbike website Dirt Bike Dentist.
I am somewhat of a computer geek. I built my own computers. I enjoy playing online video games. See PC Gaming Dentist.
In 2010 I joined PSC gun range in Friendswood. I enjoy the sport of shooting. Visit Shooting Dentist.
In 2016 I have started training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu at a gym near my house. It is an incredibly humbling discipline and a tremendous work out. Now I am the BJJ Dentist.
I like to cook out on my grill and have friends and family over for dinner. Be sure to ask my staff about my amazing bratwursts!!! When I am not at the office I enjoy reading my dental journals and keeping current on new research and techniques. Beth and I keep very busy trying to keep up with our daughters.
On November 25th, 2019 we rescued Oliver and Mocha. They are Havanese. Their human died and they ended up in a rescue. We adopted them and now our lives revolve around our dogs. They are pretty laid back dogs and only bark when someone is walking past our house. They love taking walks through the neighborhood. Although we tried to get them to sleep in their doggie bed, they sleep in our bed at night.
How did you arrive at running this business?
I graduated dental school in 2005. My wife and I were thinking about moving to Kingwood. So I started working for a dentist in Kingwood. When my wife was about to graduate Radiology Residency she decided she did not want to leave Houston. I did not want to keep driving out to Kingwood anymore so I started working in Houston. After a couple of years of working for other dentists I wanted to have my own place. I did not want to start from scratch and was looking to take over a retiring doctor’s practice.
I had looked at several practices to take over but it was such a huge leap of faith. As the young doctor all I had to go on was accounting worksheets. Dentistry is so much more then balance sheets.
On a day off I happened to stop by the Dental School and catch up with my favorite Dental School Professor Dr. Rod Dosch. He told me his fishing buddy in Pasadena who wanted to retire. Dr. Dosch told me how Dr. Campbell was 72 years old and had been looking to retire for several years. However, he wanted to leave the practice in good hands.
I contacted Dr. Campbell and we had many visits and meetings. It was a feeling out processes. We both wanted to make sure the transaction was successful.
I officially took over June 19, 2008. I am now the third owner of the practice since it started in 1950
Did you always know that you wanted to be a Dentist? Why/How?
Oh no. Dentistry did not cross my mind until college. In Junior High and High School I excelled in all the honor classes. I graduated in the top 1% of my High School Class. Everyone told me “Michael you should be a M.D.”. I though cool….the first Nugent Doctor. I went and watched surgeries at a Hospital. I shadowed and observed different Medical Doctors. Frankly, it was gross. You have to see people naked, you see patients all cut up and people die. Nothing in Medicine sparked my interest.
Great. I was a freshman in college and I did not know what I wanted to do. My parents told me the dentist had been recommending that my wisdom teeth be extracted. I was a little scared and kept blowing my parents off. Finally, my parents said “you are on our insurance for nine more months, we can pay for your wisdom teeth now or you can pay for it yourself latter.” Suddenly, I got real motivated to get my wisdom teeth out.
I went to an Oral Surgeon. He started the I.V. and we were talking about NBA basketball. The next thing I know I am pissed off. I slurred my words and ask “Are—youuu—gooing—to-sttart?” The Oral Surgeon says “we are already done!” Then I feel the cotton gauze in my mouth. What the heck just happened to me. The next week when I came back for a checkup I quizzed the Oral Surgeon. I was fascinated as to what had happened to me.
I went home and called our family dentist office and told them I was interested in becoming a dentist. I asked if I could come watch the dentist. I followed my dentist around for several days. I was fascinated. Dentistry is so cool! You get to be a science biology nerd, you get to play with cool tool, you don’t see patients naked and nobody dies!!
What are you most passionate about professionally?
Learning. Dental knowledge is expanding every month. As the doctor, I owe it to my patients to be offering the latest and most advanced options. Each year I average fifteen time more required continuing education hours then the State of Texas requires. I have a professional obligation to be the very best I can be for the patients I serve. Plus, learning is so fun and stimulating.
What motivates you the most about your work and the contribution you can make?
Over the years I’ve enjoyed building beautiful smiles, freeing patients from old fashioned dentures by creating dental implant dentures, getting people out of pain and seeing patients regain their dental health. However, I am most passionate about the meaningful and personal relationships I have created with my patients and my team.
