When it comes to seeing any kind of medical specialist, it can be a bit confusing to know where to start. This is true in the dental community as well. If you know you need a root canal, your best option would be to find a specialist. If you need an endodontist, you might wonder, “do I need a referral to see an endodontist?” That question isn’t always straightforward, so it is good to know what to look for and whether or not you need a referral from your general dentist.
Every Office Is Different
It is important to note that every office is different. There are a variety of office policies, so you will need to look up the information on the website or contact the office directly.
But why would an endodontist not be willing to see someone without a referral? There are a few reasons why this is the case. In certain areas of the country, especially those with a large population, there aren’t always many endodontists in the given proximity. While there isn’t any problem finding a general practicing dentist or orthodontist, there are not as many endodontists out there.
This means when someone needs a root canal, their tooth has split, or they have an infection inside of the tooth, an endodontist’s office can quickly fill it up. This makes scheduling stressful, and often the office doesn’t have the staff size to accommodate so many patients at once.
Should an office ever reach this point, they may need to put in some requirements to be seen. One such condition is needing a referral to be seen. There are some individuals who come to the office that doesn’t need the help of an endodontist. They can see a dentist for the issue they are experiencing, but the problem with this is it takes up valuable time that other patients could be utilizing. With a referral-based situation, it does ensure the endodontist is only seeing patients that truly need their expertise.
The Problem With Referral-Only Offices
The big problem here is there are times when patients know exactly what kind of help and services they need. It is rather apparent when a tooth is cracked and needs to be addressed immediately. And yet, if an endodontist’s office only takes patients by referral, it means the individual will need to make an appointment with their general dentist. Then the dentist, who will likely not be able to treat the situation, will need to give the patient a referral, which will take more time, not to mention the patient will need to pay for an additional office visit. That’s a lot of time, money, and energy wasted when the patient could have just gone to the endodontist.
Why Southern Endodontic Specialists Are Different
Here at Southern Endodontic Specialists, you do not need a referral to make an appointment. While the office always accepts referrals, and we will gladly see you if your dentist recommends us, you don’t need any kind of recommendation or referral to come to the office.
The best way to schedule an appointment with us is to fill out the appointment request form on our website or give us a call today.
Schedule Your Appointment Today
Every office is different; there are some offices that only work on referrals, which means unless you know someone, or your current dentist refers you to the other office, they will not see you. There are various reasons for this, but one is simply due to scheduling and time. Some offices either don’t have a large enough staff to handle unknown patients, or they are packed full and want to ensure they can continually see their current patients without scheduling them for weeks (or months).
At Southern Endodontic Specialists, we strive to see everyone without requiring a referral. After all, you might want a second opinion of what your general practicing dentist told you. There’s nothing wrong with that. We want to make it easy for you, so we are always open to seeing new patients, whether you are coming based on a referral or of your own accord. So, if you are ready to schedule an appointment, or you have questions you would like answered ahead of time, by all means, contact the staff here at Southern Endodontic Specialists.