Browse by author
Lookup NU author(s): Dr Geoffrey Sharpe, Professor Justin DurhamORCiD, Professor Philip Preshaw
Full text for this publication is not currently held within this repository. Alternative links are provided below where available.
Objective: To examine the attitudes of dental practitioners towards specialist periodontal referral in the North East of England. Subjects and methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 10 practitioners. Interviews continued until data saturation occurred. The data were organised using a framework and analysed by two researchers working independently. Results: Perceptions of periodontal disease and treatment appear to be heavily influenced by the NHS remuneration system. Treatment in general practice was limited to simple scaling and there was an apparent reluctance to treat advanced periodontitis. Such cases were commonly referred to specialists, confirming the demand for a referral service in periodontics. The perceived potential for medico-legal consequences was a strong driver of referrals. Distance to the referral centre and the perceived costs of treatment were significant barriers to referral. Dentists valued the specialist's personal reputation and clinical skills more highly than academic status. Deficiencies in communication between primary and secondary care were highlighted. Conclusions: Increased resources are required to manage periodontal diseases within the NHS. There is a need for a periodontal referral service in the North East of England to improve accessibility to specialist care. This would appear to be most appropriately delivered by increased numbers of specialist practitioners. © 2007 Nature Publishing Group.
Author(s): Sharpe G, Durham JA, Preshaw PM
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: British Dental Journal
Year: 2007
Volume: 202
Issue: 4
Pages: E11-
Print publication date: 24/02/2007
ISSN (print): 0007-0610
ISSN (electronic): 1476-5373
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/bdj.2007.141
DOI: 10.1038/bdj.2007.141
PubMed id: 17308531
Altmetrics provided by Altmetric
