Patient choice of primary care practitioner for orofacial symptoms

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.

Patients attending oral and maxillofacial clinics in Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland in relation to a variety of complaints were invited to complete a questionnaire.

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.

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.