“I find it very fulfilling to help patients obtain relief from difficult oral problems, eliminate symptoms and improve quality of life.”

Dr. Brennan is board certified in oral medicine and specializes in oral lesions, dry mouth, burning mouth, taste disorders and facial pain. 

He is the chairman of the Department of Oral Medicine and director of the Sjögren’s Syndrome and Salivary Disorders Center at Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center. He’s most interested in the diagnostic challenges of less commonly seen conditions in the oral cavity and hopes to help his patients live a healthier lifestyle.

Dr. Brennan has over 150 peer reviewed articles and book chapters, and he’s currently the co-principal investigator on an NIH U01 grant examining the head and neck effects of radiation therapy in head and neck cancer patients. Dr. Brennan is also the lead coordinating investigator for a study assessing a first in human treatment for oral lichen planus (an inflammatory condition of the mouth). Finally, he’s the site principal investigator of a study to assess gene therapy treatment in subjects with radiation-induced dry mouth.

He earned his dental degree at the University of Iowa. He completed his residency at Loyola University Medical Center and his fellowship at the National Institutes of Health.

In his spare time, Dr. Brennan enjoys being with his family and playing outdoor sports such as golf and volleyball.