UK: will a private oral surgeon want a report from your GP?

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#1 Post by **dentalguy** » Wed Oct 20, 2010 5:37 am

Hi, I was just wondering if to go ahead with getting braces and then having surgery will my GP need to be involved? Or is it just the patient, the orthodontist and the oral surgeon?

This is in the UK as I'm not sure people have GPs in the US.

#2 Post by **Bowater** » Wed Oct 20, 2010 6:43 am

To see an NHS surgeon you either need a referral from your GP or dentist. I sought mine from the GP as he knew less about teeth and did not quibble. With your referral and seeing the surgeon that is where the GP participation stops.

#3 Post by **Emmauk** » Wed Oct 20, 2010 10:05 am

Yes, my GP knows nothing about what i am going to embark on soon, ive had my 5 teeth out and the GP still doesn't know anything.

My normal dentist did the initial referral to the Ortho who then referred me to the oral surgeon..

#4 Post by **venom** » Wed Oct 20, 2010 11:33 am

when i told my surgeon i didnt have a gp the first thing he wanted me to do was to register with one.

#5 Post by **Emmauk** » Wed Oct 20, 2010 11:41 am

With any sort of surgery you are required to be registered with a gp but its not neccesarily down to the gp to do the referral.

#6 Post by **dentalguy** » Thu Nov 04, 2010 11:30 am

Oops, only getting back to this now. But thanks anyway, guys, for the replies.

As this is cosmetic it's all private and so I've referred myself privately for a variety of consultations. So, the ball is already rolling - albeit slowly - and I'm past the point of wondering whether I should go to my GP to get a referral.

What I'm wondering about is would a private surgeon want to contact my GP to attain my medical history - and stuff like that - if he was going to perform surgery? Or does private treatment work completely independently of the NHS?