Assessment of the interdisciplinary collaboration between the periodontology and restorative dentistry departments, according to the consultation notes

Background: This study aims to evaluate the interdisciplinary consultation patterns between the Departments of Periodontology (DP) and Restorative Dentistry (DR) by retrospectively analyzing structured consultation request forms. The primary objective is to identify the most frequent reasons for referral and examine gender-based trends in interdepartmental collaboration. Methods: A total of 935 consultation request forms from patients treated at the Faculty of Dentistry, Erciyes University, between 2019 and 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Among these, 460 forms were submitted by the DR to the DP, and 475 by the DP to the DR. Variables extracted included the referring department, consultation reason, and patient gender. Requests were categorized into predefined clinical indications. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 23. Pearson’s Chi-Square test and Bonferroni correction were applied to assess gender-related differences in consultation reasons. Results: The most frequent consultation reason from DR to DP was "scaling and curettage" (43.1%), and the most common predominant referral reason from DP to DR was for "tooth restoration assessment" (29.7%). Female patients were more frequently the subject of consultation requests (P<0.05), indicating a significant gender difference in referral patterns. Conclusion: The results revealed that each department frequently relied on the other for procedures beyond its primary scope, highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary coordination in comprehensive dental care. The identification of common consultation patterns has the potential to optimize patient management and improve collaboration between specialties.