Referred to a Dental Specialist? Don't Fret, It's a Good Thing!

No, really...it is!

As a dental assistant I used to chuckle at patients, quietly of course, who would scoff at the fact that the doctor was referring them out. So I used to explain it like this...

If your medical doctor diagnosed you with a heart condition...you wouldn't think twice about being seen by a cardiologist would you? Of course not! You know your medical doctor was trained to treat you, but your Cardiologist, is a master at it. I don't know about you, but I'd rather let the master do the work. 

For many, many years, the dental offices were one-stop shops. Anything you needed done from cleanings, extractions and root canals, to dentures and periodontal treatments you could have done at one office. Most general practices offered just about everything. 

With the growth of treatments and technologies in the field radically changing daily, general dentists worldwide are forced to keep on their toes to be able to continue to offer all these services at their A+ rate. The reality of this is, not every general dentist can be 100% proficient, in every aspect of every field of dentistry.

This is where the beauty of specialists come in. They are able to offer the A+ treatments to patients when their general dentist is not comfortable performing a procedure or has diagnosed treatment that doesn't fall into their scope of practice. It's your general dentist's way of saying " I want you to have the best treatment possible for your situation." And why not have a doctor who does this procedure all day, day in and day out do it? 

So, if you receive a referral to a dental specialist, make sure you thank your doctor. He's looking out for you, your comfort and your dental health.

Original post by Dawn_DA March 2010