Can general dentists diagnose oral pathologies, cysts, etc., or does it require a specialist?

Start the process: A general dentist is trained to look for and recognize oral anomalies and symptoms and can then refer you to the appropriate specialist for definitive diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Sometimes: General Dentists are trained to diagnose when something is not normal so we can generally tell if there is something of concern and can treat routine problems.. For more serious issues, or when we are not certain we might send you to an Oral surgeon, an ENT or a Head & Neck specialist for confirmation and/or treatment and you would be treated by a whole team including the general dentist.

Triage: Your Dentist is your front line diagnostician. He/she has years of training & experience to recognize, classify, & diagnose deviation from the norm. Your Dentist will then either treat the anomaly, or refer you to the correct specialist for care.