A GDP who has not heard in eighteen months
A general dentist referred a teenager for orthodontic treatment. They received a letter after the assessment, perhaps. Since then, nothing. The patient turns up for a check-up with brackets on, then later without them. The GDP does not know the treatment plan, whether there were any concerns they should know about, or who is looking after retention.
The orthodontist means to write at each stage. With a full list, letters are written in batches when time allows, which is not often.
When letters are written in a batch weeks later, the detail is thinner and the timing less useful. A GDP who sees the patient for a check-up the week after bond-up gets nothing from a letter that arrives a month after that.
Why letters to referrers slip
- Treatment runs for a long time, so milestones are spread out.
- Nothing prompts a letter when a milestone passes.
- Each letter is written from scratch.
- Referring dentist details are sometimes out of date.
- Letters are a lower priority than patients in the chair.
What silence with referrers costs
The referring dentist's relationship with the practice weakens, and so may their referrals. The patient's GDP lacks information that is useful at their own check-ups, such as the retention plan. And when a GDP rings for an update, someone has to find the notes and answer on the spot.
Retention is where the information matters most. After debond, the patient often returns to their GDP for routine care, and the GDP may be the first to notice a retainer problem. If they do not know which retainer was fitted or what the orthodontist advised, they cannot help the patient or know when to send them back.
How we build milestone letters
- The milestones your practice wants to report are defined, for example assessment outcome, treatment start, debond, and discharge to retention.
- Milestones are detected from appointment types or status changes in your practice management system.
- A draft letter is created from your template with the patient's details, the referring dentist and the case information your orthodontists include. If you want, a model can turn structured notes into a readable paragraph for the orthodontist to edit.
- The orthodontist reviews and approves drafts in a short list, a few at a time.
- Approved letters are sent by secure email or post, and filed against the patient and the referring practice.
- Referring practice contact details are kept in one list and checked when letters bounce.
| Milestone | Letter content (your template) |
|---|---|
| Assessment | Outcome and next steps |
| Treatment start | Appliance type and expected treatment stages |
| Debond | Retention plan and who manages it |
| Discharge | Summary and return to GDP care |
Clinical content is written and approved by your orthodontists. Drafts are a starting point, never sent without review.
Referrers who know what is happening
Referring dentists hear from you at each stage without the orthodontist writing letters from scratch. Letters go out close to the milestone, while they are relevant. Phone calls asking for updates fall away. The practice also has a record of what was sent to whom.
The letters also help when a new dentist joins a referring practice and inherits patients in orthodontic treatment. They have a clear letter trail rather than a gap.
Does this sound like your practice?
- Letters to referring dentists are written when time allows.
- GDPs ring to ask about their patients' treatment.
- Referrer contact details are not kept up to date.
- There is no record of which letters have been sent.