Surgical management in dentistry: the interdisciplinary relationship between periodontology and oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Surgical procedures of the oral cavity can be performed by a number of dental specialists and clinicians. Because of the limited number of surgical procedures that can be performed inside the oral cavity, the boundaries between specialties may become indistinct and lead to confusion for general dentists in terms of patient referrals. In this article, what the two surgical specialties of dentistry (i.e. periodontology and oral and maxillofacial surgery) have to offer is highlighted, together with clinical examples to illustrate the interdisciplinary relationship between them.