A good general dentist can facilitate the implementation of complex, multidisciplinary treatment plans. Usually most patients have a general dentist whom they trust and depend on to make appropriate referrals.. Although other members of a dental team should take responsibility for tracking a patients progress during complex treatments, often a general dentist has a long standing relationship with the patient and may have knowledge of their specific needs and habits that other team members do not.
Accordingly, it is usually best for the general dentist to display an active involvement in treatment planning and in ensuring that treatment moves forward until the desired result is achieved A general dentist can communicate with his specialists in such away as to help coordinate the overall treatment.
When Implementing complicated treatment plans It is important that the patients general dentist and the specialist(s) involved, be concerned that, the overall planned treatments are coordinated and delivered in a way that results in the best possible treatment outcome.
If no one is tracking a patients progress then it is more likely that a patient’s progress could be setback, either by poorly timed treatment or treatment not in keeping with the overall treatment plan.
Both the general dentist and specialist(s) should also insure that treatments performed must facilitate later treatments by other members of the dental team. Often procedures can be done in a variety of ways , but treatment providers must keep an eye on the overall goal of treatment, in order to make sure that each treatment is performed in a manner that is optimal to the overall treatment plan.
Often patients in a general dental practice exhibit multiple ‘dental problems’, but if the general dentist and specialist communicate well, they insure that treatments crucial to the overall treatment plans progress get done first. Doing so facilitate progress and results in a timely completion of a chosen treatment plan.
