[Recent increase in simple extractions in OMF-surgeries in the Netherlands studied]

Area of Science:

• Oral Surgery
• Dental Public Health

Background:

• General dental practitioners (GDPs) commonly perform tooth extractions.
• An increase in referrals for simple tooth extractions to Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) departments in the Netherlands has been suspected.
• This trend may impact surgical workload and patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in the complexity and volume of tooth extractions performed by OMFS surgeons over time.
• To analyze referral patterns for tooth extractions between 1996 and 2014.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of health records from 1996 and 2014.
• Inclusion of outpatients who underwent tooth extractions at an OMFS department.
• Classification of tooth extraction complexity based on four predefined criteria.

Main Results:

• A significant increase in the proportion of simple tooth extractions performed by OMFS surgeons was observed in 2014 compared to 1996.
• The overall complexity of tooth extractions managed by OMFS surgeons decreased between 1996 and 2014.
• The reasons for this shift in referral patterns were not definitively identified.

Conclusions:

• The findings suggest a trend towards OMFS surgeons managing a higher volume of less complex tooth extractions.
• Potential contributing factors include GDPs' perceived lack of proficiency, risk of complications, or financial incentives.
• Further research is needed to clarify the underlying causes and implications of this shift in dental care provision.