Referrals, procedures and complications in oral surgery services. Literature review

Abstract

Several studies have described and analyzed performance of oral surgical services with the aim of introducing improvement in care quality and availability. The aim of the present article was to review referral, procedure and complication patterns described in scientific literature. In studies mainly conducted in the United Kingdom and Africa, it was determined that most frequent procedures are of low complexity, mainly extractions, and within extractions, those of third molars. Local anesthesia was used in most procedures, the most common reasons for referral were multiple, surgical or complicated extractions. Referral was mainly executed by the general dentist,
and in lesser amounts by the specialist dentist, general physician and specialist physician. Few procedures cause post-surgical complications. Among these we can count dry socket, infection, infl ammation, pain around sutures and hemorrhage.