The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, also called UT Health San Antonio, is a leading academic health center with a mission to make lives better through excellence in advanced academics, life-saving research and comprehensive clinical care including health, dental and cancer services.
Dr. Felix Amarista is originally from Caracas, Venezuela. He received his D.D.S. at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV), graduating with honors in 2011. After receiving his dental degree, he completed a 1-year internship in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at “Dr. Domingo Luciani” Hospital in Caracas, Venezuela. Then he moved to Bogota, Colombia, and finished an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery residency at Bogota Central Military Hospital – Nueva Granada Military University in 2018. During his training, he was awarded “Researcher of the Year” for 2016 and 2017 among all medical specialties and finally graduated as "Best Resident of First Specialization", among more than 80 medical specialists. Upon graduation, he was awarded “Best Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Resident in Latin America” by the Latin American Association of Traumatology and Bucomaxillofacial Surgery (ALACIBU). He recently received the IAOMS NextGen Outstanding Young Surgeon Award from the International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (IAOMS) and the Daniel M. Laskin Award for the best manuscript published in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in 2022 by the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (AAOMS).
Dr. Amarista joined the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at UT Health San Antonio in 2018 to continue his education in the US and completed his residency in 2021. He has published several scientific articles in the OMS field, is committed to improving patient care through research, and is passionate about teaching and pursuing an academic career.
Dr. Amarista's clinical interests include the treatment of TMJ pathology including advanced TMJ arthroscopy, minimally invasive orthognathic surgery (MIOS), maxillofacial trauma, benign pathology, and complex dentoalveolar surgery including dental implants. His other interests include playing soccer, running, and going to the gym, and enjoys spending time with his wife who is also an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon.
I believe in disciplined growth through lifelong learning, clinical excellence, and academic mentorship. I treat every patient as if they were my own family, combining innovation with tradition to improve care, educate future surgeons, and lead with integrity.