Patient Information
Background Information
Oral and Maxillofacial surgery requires many additional years of hospital-based surgical and anesthesia training after graduation from dental school. As an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Dr. Viehweg manages a wide variety of problems relating to the face, jaws, and mouth. Dr. Viehweg practices the full scope of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery with expertise ranging from dental implant surgery and wisdom tooth removal to corrective jaw surgery and facial cosmetics. This also includes techniques designed to rebuild bone structure with minimal surgical intervention and optimal patient comfort. Dr. Viehweg can also diagnose and treat facial pain, facial injuries, and fractures.
Our staff is trained in assisting with Intravenous (IV) sedation or outpatient general anesthesia in our state-of-the-art office setting. Patients are continuously monitored during and after surgery.
Surgical Staff
The surgical staff at Alpine Surgical Arts are experienced, certified Oral and Maxillofacial surgical assistants, who assist in administration of IV sedation and surgery. All staff are informed administrative personnel, well-versed in health and insurance policies, and are CPR certified.
Consultation
Your initial appointment will consist of a consultation explaining your diagnosis and treatment options. This initial appointment will include state-of-the-art 3-D CT digital radiography when necessary, as well as digital photography if needed. Occasionally, surgery can be performed on the same day as the consultation. However, a complex medical history or treatment plan will require an initial evaluation prior to a second appointment to provide treatment on another day.
Please assist us by providing the following information at the time of your consultation:
- Your surgical referral slip and any x-rays if applicable.
- A list of medications you are presently taking.
- If you have medical or dental insurance, bring the necessary completed forms. This will save time and allow us to help you process any claims.
- You may also complete the online forms at your convenience and transmit them safely and securely via the internet right into your own electronic patient record.
IMPORTANT: All patients under the age of 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at the consultation visit.
A preoperative consultation and physical examination is mandatory for patients undergoing IV anesthesia for surgery. Please have nothing to eat or drink eight hours prior to your surgery. You will also need an adult to drive you home.
Please alert the office if you have a medical condition that may be of concern prior to surgery (i.e., diabetes, high blood pressure, artificial heart valves and joints, a history of rheumatic fever, etc.) or if you are currently taking any medication (i.e., heart medications, aspirin, anticoagulant therapy, etc.).
X-Rays
If your dentist or physician has taken x-rays, you may request that they forward them to our office. If there is not enough time, please pick them up and bring them to our office. If additional films are necessary, they can be taken at our facility with our state-of-the–art 3-dimensional CT scanner.
Technology
Radiofrequency Surgery
Dr. Viehweg uses the Ellman Dual Radiofrequency device which offers unparalleled surgical control, precision, versatility and safety. Radio-surgery now has an established place throughout the world in dermatology, gynecology, facial and cosmetic surgery, vascular and podiatric practice. Its use in minor surgery is increasing rapidly and it can now achieve far more superior results than other more conventional surgical techniques.
“Radio-surgery is an atraumatic method of cutting and coagulating soft tissues. No pressure is needed and the cells are vaporized in the path of the radiowaves causing them to split apart much like a hot wire through polystyrene. This results in less trauma to the cells, less fibrous scarring, and less post operative discomfort; the other advantage is that the electrodes are also self-sterilizing in use.”
Extracted from Minor Surgery A Text and Atlas, Dr. John Stuart Brown, Third Edition. Chapman & Hall Medical
3-D CT Imaging
Alpine Surgical Arts is pleased to offer state-of-the-art Digital Radiography (X-Rays), with 3-dimensional CT capability. This minimizes patient’s exposure to radiation and is environmentally friendly since no developing is required. Obtained images are more detailed and can be magnified and studied in various forms.
CT Scans
Our practice utilizes state-of-the-art, cone-beam CT (computed tomography) technology that provides highly accurate 3-D radiographic images for the diagnosis, planning and treatment of oral surgery. This technology provides highly accurate 3-D radiographic images for the diagnosis, planning and treatment of orthodontics, implantology, TMJ analysis, airway assessment, oral and orthognathic surgery, and other dental procedures. Undistorted, anatomically correct views of the jaws, teeth and facial bones along with cross-sectional (bucco-lingual), axial, coronal, sagittal, cephalometric and panoramic views are easily generated. Three-dimensional images enable a level of anatomical accuracy and patient care not possible with 2-D technologies.
With the addition of cone-beam CT technology in our office, our practice is committed to providing innovative, high-quality, technologically advanced patient care.
Financial Information
For your convenience, we accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Care Credit and Discover. We deliver the finest care at the most reasonable cost to our patients, therefore payment is due at the time service is rendered unless other arrangements have been made in advance. If you have questions regarding your account, please contact us at
(801) 766-4834. Many times, a simple telephone call will alleviate any misunderstandings.
Please remember you are fully responsible for all fees charged by this office regardless of your insurance coverage.
We will send you a monthly statement. Most insurance companies will respond within four to six weeks. Please call our office if your statement does not reflect your insurance payment within that time frame. Any remaining balance after your insurance has paid is your responsibility. Your prompt remittance is appreciated. We can make arrangements for a monthly payment plan, but that must be implemented prior to the actual procedure.
Insurance Information
At Alpine Surgical Arts we make every effort to provide you with the finest surgical care and the most convenient financial options. To accomplish this goal, we work hand-in-hand with you to maximize your insurance reimbursement for covered procedures. If you have any problems or questions, please ask our staff. They are well informed and up-to-date. They can be reached by phone at (801) 766-4834. Please call if you have any questions or concerns regarding your initial visit. Please bring your insurance information with you to the consultation so that we can expedite reimbursement.
Scheduling
Alpine Surgical Arts is open Monday - Friday from 8 am until 4:30 pm. We will schedule your appointment as promptly as possible. If you have pain or an emergency situation, every attempt will be made to see you that day.
We try our best to stay on schedule to minimize your waiting. Due to the fact that Alpine Surgical Arts provides surgical services, various circumstances may lengthen the time allocated for a procedure. Emergency cases can also arise and cause delays. We appreciate your understanding and patience.
Please call (801) 766-4834 with any questions or to schedule an appointment.
Patient Privacy Policy
This form, Notice of Privacy Practices, presents the information that federal law requires us to give our patients regarding our privacy practices.
This notice is a pdf document which requires the Adobe Reader software. You most likely already have this software on your computer. However, if you have difficulty reading the notice, please click here to install Acrobat Reader.
Oral Surgery Videos
OMSNIC Informed Consent
To provide you with a better understanding of wisdom tooth extraction, we have provided the following multimedia presentation. Many common questions pertaining to wisdom tooth extraction are discussed.
Having trouble? Please make sure you have version 9 of the Flash browser plugin in order to correctly view this presentation. This software is available as a free download.