Oral Surgeons Are Pulling Surgical Referrals Back In-House

Oral Surgeons Are Pulling Surgical Referrals Back In-House

Oral Surgeons Are Pulling Surgical Referrals Back In-House

Oral surgery referral patterns are shifting hard. Fifteen years ago, any surgical case left the practice. Now a large percentage of extractions stay in-house.

Why. Economics. OMD/DMD with surgical training means you keep the margin instead of giving it to a specialist. Implant placements especially. That's $3K-$5K per case staying in your revenue.

Specialists are pushing back by integrating with GPDs on surgical cases. Co-diagnosis, split fees. Anything to keep the referral in network.

Here's what it means for your practice: if you don't have surgical capability, you're leaving money on the table. Basic exodontia training, minor surgical cases, implant placement are now in-scope for the modern general dentist.

The investment: continuing ed, surgical tools, insurance implications, staff training. Maybe $15K to $25K total.

The payback: 30-50 surgical cases/year at $1K net margin each. You do the math.

Specialists didn't invent this trend. Economics did.

Sources:

- Referral patterns and the referral system for oral surgery care. Part 1: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10718000/

- Referral patterns and the referral system for oral surgery care. Part 1: https://www.nature.com/articles/4800415

- [PDF] Oral surgery referrals at a UK dental hospital in the context of a ...: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/129589/3/ors.12478.pdf