Periodontal referral by Hong Kong general dentists

Abstract

Background: In 2008 there were just over 1600 general dental practitioners (GDPs) registered in Hong Kong of whom about 150 worked in the government dental service. There were also 174 dentists on specialist registers, of whom 12 were periodontists and furthermore there were at least 10 more dentists with higher education and training in Periodontology accepting periodontal referrals. Objectives: To investigate periodontal referral patterns of Hong Kong GDPs. Methods: A questionnaire was mailed to 774 GDPs, and 488 (63%) returned completed questionnaires. Items covered included background information on the GDPs and periodontal referral patterns.

Results: 62% of the respondents had obtained their primary dental qualification in Hong Kong. 80% worked in private practice and 16% in the government dental service. 31% held at least one further qualification in addition to their primary registerable dental degree. 21% of GDPs had access to the services of dental hygienists. Only 55% made regular referrals of patients for periodontal specialist care. Years of experience or the possession of a higher dental qualification did not influence periodontal referral patterns. A significantly higher proportion of GDPs working in the government dental service than those in private practice routinely referred patients for periodontal care. A significantly higher proportion of GDPs with access to dental hygienists made routine periodontal referrals. The most commonly cited reasons for referral were lack of confidence in achieving successful treatment outcomes, considerations to do with patients' medical history and in response to patients' requests.

Conclusions: Referral of periodontal patients by GDPs in Hong Kong is not commonplace, and is influenced by practice environment, by lack of confidence in treatment abilities and by patient characteristics.