| Title | Patient choice of primary care practitioner for orofacial symptoms. | | Author(s) | Bell GW, Smith GL, Rodgers JM, Flynn RW, Malone CH | | Institution | Dumfries & Galloway Royal Infirmary, Bankend Road, Dumfries, DG1 4AP. garmon.bell@nhs.net | | Source | Br Dent J 2008 Jun 28; 204(12):669-73. | | Abstract | OBJECTIVE: To determine patients' preferences regarding consultation of medical or dental practitioners for various orofacial symptoms, including patients' perceptions of practitioners' training and ability to diagnose and treat these symptoms.
METHOD: Patients attending oral and maxillofacial clinics in Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland in relation to a variety of complaints were invited to complete a questionnaire.
RESULTS: From a sample size of 254 patients, 220 correctly completed questionnaires were received. This showed 69% of patients regarded medical practitioners as being better trained to diagnose and treat non-dental orofacial symptoms. Eighty percent of patients regarded medical practitioners as being more accessible when booking an appointment. Seventy-eight percent of patients did not regard charges for dental care as being an important factor when deciding which practitioner they should consult.
CONCLUSION: Despite the significant differences between medical and dental practitioners in undergraduate and postgraduate training in orofacial disease, most patients would choose to visit a medical rather than dental practitioner. While these results suggest the need for postgraduate educational support for medical practitioners in treating orofacial pain and oral mucosal disease, they also imply a need for change in the concept of provision of oral healthcare by general dental practitioners. | | Language | eng | | Pub Type(s) | Journal Article
| | PubMed ID | 18587362 |
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