Oral surgery in Norwegian general dental practice--a survey. Extent, scope, referrals, emergencies, and medically compromised patients.

A questionnaire containing 37 questions concerning oral surgery and oral medicine was mailed to a systematic random sample of 500 Norwegian general dental practitioners in October 1989. A 60% return rate was obtained. From the 20 questions included in this paper the following conclusions were drawn: Norwegian general practitioners perform a substantial number and diversity of procedures in the field of oral surgery and oral medicine. The predictor variables sex, age, geographic location, and type of practice (private/public) showed by multiple classification analysis only limited correlation with the amount and diversity of procedures. On average, 12.3 patients were referred per practitioner per year to specialists in oral surgery. The indicated need for orthognathic consultations was 0.75 patient per year per practitioner. Serious emergencies demanding referral seldom occurred. Each month 6.6 medically compromised patients were seen in general practice, among which cardiovascular disorders dominated.