ANSWERS

When does a general dentist refer to an oral surgeon?

A general dentist refers to an oral surgeon when a case exceeds the scope of routine restorative care: impacted third molars, surgical extractions involving bone removal, dental implant placement, bone grafting, pathology requiring biopsy, jaw reconstruction, orthognathic surgery, or facial trauma.

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Why it works this way

The common referral triggers

General dentists handle the bulk of restorative and preventive care, but several categories consistently route to oral surgery. The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons groups these into impacted teeth (most often third molars), dental implants and pre-prosthetic surgery, oral pathology and biopsy, dentoalveolar trauma, corrective jaw surgery, cleft and craniofacial cases, and facial cosmetic procedures. The 2024 ADA Health Policy Institute workforce survey reported that roughly 1 in 20 patient visits in general practice ends in a specialist referral, with oral surgery among the top three destinations alongside endodontics and periodontics.

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Who places the implant, the general dentist or the oral surgeon?

Either can place an implant if properly trained, but the split in U.S. practice is roughly two-thirds surgical specialist, one-third general dentist, according to AAID and AAOMS practice data. General dentists more often handle single-tooth posterior cases with adequate bone; oral surgeons handle full-arch, grafted, sinus-lifted, and medically complex cases. The restorative dentist almost always owns the final crown or prosthetic regardless of who placed the fixture.

How long does an implant case take from surgical placement to final crown?

A standard single-implant case runs 3 to 6 months from placement to seated crown, accounting for 8 to 12 weeks of osseointegration before the abutment and crown are loaded. Full-arch All-on-X cases can deliver an immediate provisional the day of surgery, with the definitive prosthetic finalized in 4 to 6 months. Dani Dental ships final implant prosthetics on a 10 to 14 business day workflow once the case file is approved.

What information should accompany an oral surgery referral?

A complete referral includes recent radiographs (panoramic plus periapicals, or a CBCT if implants are planned), the patient's medical history with current medications, the reason for referral, and the restorative plan if known. For implant referrals, sending the intraoral scan with the referral lets the surgeon and the lab begin guide design immediately rather than waiting for a second appointment. Dani Dental accepts STL files from all major scanners directly into the case workflow.

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