Austin Oral Surgery Celebrates 50 Years in Business: Reveals Secret of Success
Austin Oral Surgery is celebrating its 50th year in business by reflecting on the people who have helped make the OMS practice what it is today. Over the years, it has grown to include 14 board certified surgeons and 12 locations throughout Central Texas, and the secret to its success is a family connection.
AUSTIN, Texas, June 17, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Austin Oral Surgery is celebrating its 50th year in business by reflecting on the people who have helped make the oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) practice what it is today. Over the years, it has grown to include 14 board certified surgeons and 12 locations throughout Central Texas, and the secret to its success is a family connection.
"We think of our patients as family and we treat them that way, and that's something the doctors of Austin Oral Surgery have always done. Over the past 50 years, we've built a legacy of exceptional patient care. Patients trust us and recommend us to their families. We even have patients who are third generation – we've treated their parents and grandparents before them," explains Daniel Szalay, DDS, an oral surgeon with Austin Oral Surgery.
In addition, care team members say they feel like family – they share common goals, enjoy each other's company, respect one another and band together to face any situation. This cohesiveness has helped Austin Oral Surgery to grow and retain employees.
"Generally speaking, the doctors who chose to practice with us, stay with us all the way through retirement, and it's not just the doctors. I joined Austin Oral Surgery in 1988 as a surgical assistant and later became marketing director. It's such a pleasure to be part of the legacy of exceptional care, where surgeons treat their patients and team members like family," says Renee Dixon, marketing director of Austin Oral Surgery.
For Austin Oral Surgery, the family connections don't end there. Dixon says two of Austin Oral Surgery's practicing doctors are brothers: Daniel Szalay (mentioned above) and David Szalay, DDS, MD. The brothers practice out of different locations, roughly 27 miles apart – Daniel out of South Austin and David out of Pflugerville – but they consult on surgeries together, on occasion.
"Certain procedures benefit from having more than one surgeon, and we've had the chance to work together on several of those cases," says Daniel. "It's nice to be able to help each other that way, to bounce ideas off each other and work together to address patients' needs."
David explains further: "My brother and I went to separate, but equally renowned, residency programs and trained under different prominent surgeons. So, we both acquired our own unique set of knowledge and skills which we now get to share. It's neat to see how we approach things differently, to learn from and complement each other as surgeons. Working with my brother is always fun and interesting. We get to help people together, and that's something we're both very passionate about."
The brothers Szalay were born in Budapest, Hungary, and moved to Austin with their family when they were 7 and 3. Raised in Austin, the brothers had a close family friend who was a local dentist, which helped influence their career paths. The brothers were both dedicated to helping people and worked as dental assistants during college, attending and graduating from UT at the top of their classes. Daniel graduated first, since he was older, and decided to study genetics before going to dental school. This meant both boys were ready to begin dental school at the same time.
"Independently, we both chose Texas A&M University College of Dentistry, which is one of the best dental schools nationwide," recalls David. "We sat next to each other in class, helped each other study, and were always a little bit competitive – pushing each other to work harder and be better. We both decided we enjoyed the challenges OMS provides and decided to apply for oral surgery residency programs. We graduated from dental school together at the top of our class and then went off to separate residency programs."
After residency, the brothers were recruited separately by Austin Oral Surgery – and they both said yes because of the practice's reputation and its people.
"Growing up in Austin, we've always known about Austin Oral Surgery. They've always had a great reputation in the community and have taken care of many of our own friends and family. As we continued our careers, through dental school and residency, we had the pleasure of getting to know many of the Austin Oral Surgery doctors personally and they've consistently been kind, hard-working and caring people. We're grateful to be part of such a family and I can't imagine practicing anywhere else," says David.
Daniel and David practice a full scope of OMS services, including orthognathic surgery, treating TMJ disorders, dental implants, wisdom teeth removal, bone grafting, facial reconstruction and more. Outside of work, the brothers enjoy fishing, hiking, and spending time together with their wives and children.
About: When Doctors James Fricke and Sam Fason established Austin Oral Surgery 50 years ago, they had one goal in mind: to put patients first. Austin Oral Surgery continues that legacy of exceptional care today, treating patients with a wide variety of oral/maxillofacial needs from wisdom teeth removal and corrective jaw surgery to dental implants and more. For more information, visit http://www.austinoralsurgery.com.
Media Contact
Renee Dixon, Austin Oral Surgery, 512-431-7232, [email protected]
SOURCE Austin Oral Surgery
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