When to Consider Referring to an Oral Surgeon

Caroline Zeller DDS, MPH (Assistant Professor OHSU Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Hospital Dental Services)

Oral Surgery Series Part 3

As a general dentist you are the first touch point of care for your patients. When patients require services that you do not provide, it might feel obvious when to refer. However, are their procedures that you currently provide that you should consider referring due to their inherent risk or possible need for complication management? When should pathologies be monitored versus referred? How do you stratify risks for patients with history of bisphosphonates, radiation to the head and neck, or current use of blood thinners? This course will help you to feel confident in the decision to treat or refer, and teach you how to do so in a way that benefits you, your oral surgeon, and your patient.

• Identify when procedures and patients have higher risks for complications
• Determine when to refer and when to monitor oral pathology
• Determine risk assessment for patients with history of medications related to osteonecrosis or increased bleeding risk
• Understand when an oral surgeon is the proper referral and when other specialties should be considered for management
• Demonstrate how to prepare your patients after referring them for evaluation and treatment
• Illustrate proper referral protocol