Specialty Referrals
As your general dentist, we manage your overall dental care. However, certain dental conditions and even health conditions require the services of a specialist.
A dental specialist is a dentist who focuses exclusively on a particular area of dentistry—analogous to the way in medicine, for example, a cardiologist focuses on conditions of the heart and a dermatologist focuses on conditions of the skin.
Specialists receive additional education, training, and certification in their respective disciplines, and their practices are set up with the
specialized instruments, tools, and equipment necessary for their particular fields of dentistry.
Dental specialties include:
- Endodontics
- Periodontics
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- Orthodontics
- Prosthodontics
- Pediatrics
When we feel your dental condition can best be addressed and treated most effectively and comfortably by a specialist, we will refer you to the appropriate practitioner whose field of expertise is needed for your situation.
Here are a few examples of procedures for which we would refer you and the type of specialist:
- Root canal (endodontist)
- Wisdom teeth extraction (oral surgeon)
- Implant placement (oral surgeon, periodontist)
- Bone grafting (oral surgeon)
- Gum grafting (periodontist)
- Full arch reconstruction (prosthodontist)
When we refer you, we’ll schedule your initial appointment or consult for you, if needed, and transmit our referral along with any necessary X-rays and information to the specialist. The specialist will, in turn, communicate with our office and send us a summary of your visit once you’ve been seen.
We are fortunate to have so many excellent dental specialists in our area—practitioners for whom we have the utmost respect and confidence—and who we, our family members, and our staff have seen or would not hesitate to see when needed.