For Referring Veterinarians

We welcome your referrals and strive to make the transfer of your patient to us and back to you as seamless as possible. We work hard to keep the lines of communication open between you, us and your client. To help facilitate this process please download and printout this referral form. You can then FAX it to us along with any other medical records and laboratory results at 570-839-5905 (for doctor's use only) prior to your client's appointment or send it in directly with your client. Depending on your client's preference we can schedule your referral for a consultation visit only with any potential procedure to be scheduled at a future date or schedule the initial exam appointment to be directly followed by an admission for a same day procedure. We take great care to detail with our anesthetic technique. We maintain our dental procedures with isoflurane anesthesia and follow the AAHA standards for veterinary dental care. We ask that you provide us with the results of a CBC and serum chemistry profile on your patient performed within 30 days if possible. We can perform the necessary laboratory work at our facility if needed. If you have any other recent laboratory results such as a urinalysis or cytology/ histopathology please send them along as well as any significant medical information that may impact their anesthetic management. If you have taken any radiographs please send them with your client and we will return them in like manner. Once a procedure is performed we will provide both you and your client with a complete summary of all treatments along with photographs and copies of any radiograph for your patient's medical record. A telephone follow up can also be arranged with you if desired. If you require any further information about a patient referral please call us at 570-839-1922. Also have your client contact us at this number to set up an appointment time which is convenient for them. We will make every effort to provide your clients with the level of service they deserve.

When to Refer?

A quick reference. If your veterinary education was anything like mine we realize that within our formal veterinary training we were not properly taught how to recognize and diagnose, document and chart, formulate and carry out an effective treatment plan for the wide variety of dental and oral pathology we all faced with on almost a daily basis. Because of this educational void we were also left unaware of the significance of not directing our clients to seek immediate and appropriate care for their pet once we did locate any pathology. I realize this because in the initial years following my graduation from veterinary school I was in this exact situation. It is only through extensive continuing education and seeking mentoring in veterinary dentistry that this short coming in our basic education can be rectified. This is easy to say but as we also know our profession is burgeoning in many areas of specialization with new knowledge and treatments arising so rapidly we all soon realize it is virtually impossible to remain current on all aspects of veterinary medicine and surgery, even for the recent graduate. Through many years of education and promotion from the human dental profession our clients are more savvy about their own oral health care and expect the same for their pets. In an effort to become an extension of your own practice, augmenting your ability to manage more difficult oral pathology, the following quick reference guide can be used to assist you in determining when a referral to a dental practice may be indicated.

• Any fractured teeth, especially if pulpal exposure is present.
  These teeth can not be ignored as advancing pathology is the sequela.
  
• Discolored teeth. Most of these involve nonvital pulp which also lead toward advancing pathology.
• Periodontal disease- including mobile teeth, gingival recession, periodontal pocketing, furcation exposure, gingival hyperplasia. These conditions also lead toward advancing oral and systemic pathology if not properly managed.
• Malocclusions, especially those causing trauma of dental and/or soft tissue.
  Included here are primary (deciduous) teeth retension.
• Any facial or jaw swelling or oral neoplasia. Even benign masses can become recurrent if not properly excised.
• Oronasal fistulas. Some of these are the sequela to advanced periodontal disease.
• Oral trauma, jaw fractures, tooth avulsion.
• Feline Stomatitis
• Canine Stomatitis
• Feline odontoclastic resportive lesions (FORLs)
  These are painful and need to be properly extracted. (complicated extraction)
• Complicated and/or multiple extractions.
• Any enamel lesions- abrasion (worn teeth), hypoplasia, resorption, other defects.
• Dysphagia, especially in rabbits and other pocket pets.

Photos of the above listed conditions can be seen here.

Anytime you have a question about an abnormality involving the oral cavity, call us.