A Study on Adequacy of Referrals to Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Departments in Southern Sweden - Are All Referrals Necessary

Currently, an ongoing generational shift of the dental community in Sweden originates from an increased number of retiring dentists. Meanwhile, a declining number of dental professionals puts a strain on the care system and reduces the availability of dental care to patients in need of treatment. With fewer experienced dentists, available to guide newly graduated dentists, an increased number of referrals to specialist care units might be a consequence. E.g. referrals to oral and maxillofacial departments originating from a need of assistance in more advanced cases of assessments, treatment planning and therapies. The decreasing number of dentists is also possible to negatively affect the recruitment to specialized dental units, which in turn further decreases treatment availability. When the need for dental care exceeds the capacity of the dental care providers, a possible solution might be to minimize the number of referrals possible to treat in general dentistry, thus prioritize patients truly in need of specialist care. Hence, a reduced waiting time and improved accessibility to an adequate treatment.

The aim of this study is to explore the suitability of referrals concerning exodontia to the departments of oral and maxillofacial surgery in southern Sweden. The primary objective is to assess the level of difficulty in referrals on dental extractions. Secondary objectives are assessments of outcome from treatment and comparison of the suggested treatment of the referral with the outcome. The hypothesis is that the level of difficulty of the required treatments in referrals to oral and maxillofacial departments in southern Sweden is low and constitutes a contributing factor to prolonged waiting queues in specialized dentistry.