Why undertake outreach into general dental practice?
There are many reasons why patients are referred to consultants in restorative dentistry and these range from general practitioners requiring treatment planning advice, to the desire for the consultant to undertake the treatment. The consultation process should be seen as an opportunity to educate the patient about the nature of their dental problem, to make them aware of the various treatment alternatives as well as to inform them of their role in the prevention of further disease. The nature of the hospital-based consultation means that the general dental practitioner is to a large extent a passive onlooker. The educational value for the practitioner will be dependent upon the nature of the written report (or other forms of communication) sent to the general dental practitioner following the consultation. In some cases this may be very limited, so when the practitioner is faced with a similar case, because they have not been actively involved with the previous examination and consultation, they will have no alternative but to also refer the new case for treatment planning advice.
Cheshire
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PD
St. Richard's Hospital, Chichester, West Sussex. david.cheshire@rws-tr.nhs.uk
D003812:Dentist-Patient Relations; D005792:General Practice, Dental / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011476:Prosthodontics / Q000458:organization & administration; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D013039:Specialties, Dental / Q000458:organization & administration; D013218:State Dentistry / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017748:Time Management; D006113:United Kingdom