Just thinking about oral surgery can make most people squeamish. But for Brown & Neuwirth Oral & Cosmetic Surgery, with offices in Hickory and Morganton, patient comfort and surgical excellence are top priorities.

That’s because the practice’s two surgeons, Christopher Brown, BS Dent, DDS, and Bryan Neuwirth, DDS, MD, are as committed to their patients as they are to their profession.

Since opening in 1992, their services have focused on the full scope of oral, maxillofacial, and cosmetic surgery. Common procedures include wisdom tooth extraction, dental implants, and reconstructive surgery due to trauma. However, the practice also offers cosmetic services, such as DiamondTome microdermabrasion, injectables, and skin cosmeceuticals. “From the inside out, we focus on areas that can help improve the patient’s well being,” Neuwirth explains.

“We are one of the most successful oral surgery practices in the state,” says Brown. “Part of that is because of what I call the Three A’s: Availability, Affordability, and Affability.

“We’re both available to our patients 24 hours, seven days a week,” Brown explains. “One of us is always in one of our two offices. We’re also on call for Frye and Catawba, so if there were a facial trauma or infection, we could be called in.

“Our rates are affordable and based on usual and customary fees, which is the standard insurance companies say is fair,” Brown continues. “As for affability, our entire staff is knowledgeable, courteous, and professional. We’re two of the only doctors I know who call our patients the evening of their surgery to make sure they’re doing okay. We care about our patients and want to help them immediately if they’re having questions or problems. These things really set us apart from the other practices in the area.

“We are also one of a handful of oral surgery practices in the state that sees all patients regardless of their financial situation, whether they have Medicare or Medicaid, insurance or no insurance,” Brown adds. “Our best referrals are our patients and the dental community.”

“Our staff goes the extra mile to accommodate the patient,” says Neuwirth. “We verify their insurance benefits and review the financial aspects of each individual procedure. We also offer financing in a variety of options. We really try to help patients get what they want and receive the most value from our services.”

Patients who come to Brown & Neuwirth also receive a complimentary pre-surgery consultation. “Most patients who come to us have already been diagnosed by their dentist,” says Brown. “We go above and beyond to explain the most current information and technology available. By the time patients leave, they are very well informed. The vast majority of our patients schedule that day.”

Better Care Through Technology
Technology is also a big part of what makes Brown & Neuwirth stand out. “We have the most current technology available, whether it’s imaging, digital x-rays, drill systems, our laser, or the way we take care of patients during surgery,” Brown states.

A key piece of equipment is an in-house CT scanner, which provides a highly-detailed, three-dimensional reconstruction of a patient’s head and neck anatomy that greatly improves the surgical planning process. “As far as I know, we are the only oral surgery office in Western North Carolina that houses this technology,” adds Brown.

And when it comes to surgery, patient comfort is paramount. Thanks to the practice’s fully-equipped surgical suites, most patient procedures can be done in-house. “One of the advantages we have over many practices is that we can actually sedate patients or put them to sleep,” Brown explains. “Many of our patients wake up and ask when the procedure is going to start, and we tell them we’re already done.”

“Pre-operatively, we try to decrease the patient’s pain and anxiety,” says Neuwirth. “We also make sure they have a good experience during surgery. This all leads to a better recovery. Most patients are back to school or work the next day, and they usually only need pain medicines for the first day or two.”

Experience Equals Results
Drs. Brown and Neuwirth bring a high level of experience to each procedure they perform. Both completed specialized graduate and doctoral education in oral surgery, and they are also board certified – which means that they keep current with additional training and education every year. When you visit their practice, “you’re getting highly trained surgeons, who know the anatomy and the best procedures, doing the surgery,” according to Dr. Brown. This, too, imparts a sense of comfort among patients.

One of the most frequently performed procedures at the practice is wisdom tooth removal, which is recommended for most young adults around the age of sixteen.

“Oral surgeons in general have the most hands-on experience with wisdom tooth extraction,” Neuwirth says. “The more you do something, the more efficient you will be and the fewer complications you will have. Typically that equates to patients having quicker recoveries and fewer problems.”

“With extractions, there are things we do now that cause less trauma,” says Brown. “The less time we are in surgery, the fewer problems patients have afterwards. We provide medications during surgery to keep swelling down and reduce postoperative pain. That’s the advantage of seeing an oral surgeon for these types of procedures.”

Dental implants are another major focus of the practice, and once again, Drs. Brown and Neuwirth utilize their experience to best meet patient needs. “You don’t need an implant for every tooth that’s missing, because one implant can be as strong as two or three teeth,” Brown explains. “For a patient with dentures, we can very often put two implants in rather than an implant for every tooth. We can get a denture that can snap onto those two implants, and the denture won’t move. Some of our happiest patients are those who wore dentures that wiggled around and prevented them from eating the foods they wanted. By offering two implants, which is very affordable, and working closely with their dentist, we can provide a much better solution.”

Caring For The Community
Brown & Neuwirth’s care for patients extends well beyond practice doors. They serve patients from the Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry and Morganton’s Good Samaritan Clinic, and the surgical staff regularly offers CPR training to dental and medical offices as well as to community groups.

Every February, Dr. Neuwirth personally organizes a mission trip to provide oral surgery services to sustenance farmers in Nicaragua. “They have one dentist that serves a 360-square-mile region with a population of over 300,000. They don’t have a lot of money to take care of their dental health, so we take a team to them for screening and removal of painful, decayed or abnormal teeth. Sometimes we’ll do something more exotic, but it’s primarily taking care of painful dental situations.”

Drs. Brown and Neuwirth deliver results that shatter the misconceptions often associated with oral surgery. By combining experience with quality care, the practice continues to provide the most advanced services and technologies available in the region.