General dental practitioner referral patterns for minor oral surgery.

A questionnaire was sent to all general dental practitioners within Grampian region investigating the frequency of referral to hospital of medically fit patients for minor oral surgery. This was compared with their general dental practice experience and previous hospital employment. A 91.8% (n = 135) response rate was achieved. The responses indicated that practitioners refer if they believe specialist treatment is required, but less experienced practitioners were more likely to refer in the belief that general anaesthesia was necessary for treatment. A patient's request was a rare cause of referral, particularly with the more experienced practitioners. Referrals for the patient to avoid paying National Health Service (NHS) charges were rare, as were referrals due to lack of equipment. Inappropriate NHS fees for minor oral surgery treatment was a cause of referral by one third of practitioners.