Periodontal ethics and referral modes.

The most difficult task of dental practitioners today is not how to physically carry out the individual dental procedures. Without proper diagnosis even the most sophisticated dental procedure is doomed to failure. The skill of the practitioner is always balanced with the needs of the patient and the patient's ability to understand those needs. Never before in our professional lives has the need to communicate been more important. As a profession we should avoid the conviction that we were trained in dental school to do all phases of dentistry and that when we get into private practice we should "do it all." Information in the specialties is continually augmenting to the point that what is current today may not be current tomorrow. The individual dentist should take this situation to suggest that he should use dental specialists as an extension of his/her practice-that the specialist can provide the expertise that can benefit the patient directly-that in doing so he/she is fulfilling the moral and ethical commitment made in his/her dental licensure.