For hospital and clinic staff
What happens after an ambulatory referral to dentistry is placed?
The order is only the start. Someone has to choose a dental office, send it the request, and watch for the report. Here is who owns each step and how to see that it arrived.
Last updated October 29, 2026.
The steps after the order
- Order placed. The clinician orders an ambulatory referral to dentistry, often with a dental clearance (a dental evaluation before surgery or treatment) in mind. The order alone does not reach a dentist.
- Owner named. Decide who sends it: the coordinator, a nurse navigator, or the ordering clinic. Write the name on the order.
- Dental office chosen. The patient may pick their own dentist or ask for one. Some hospitals keep a list of dental offices they work with; others do not.
- Request sent. Send the dental office what it needs (below) and a date the report is needed by.
- Arrival confirmed. Do not assume. Get a confirmation from the office, or use a tracked referral so you can see it.
- Visit and report. The dentist examines the patient and reports what they find. The treating physician decides what happens next.
- Loop closed. The care team confirms the report arrived and files it.
What the dental office needs
- The reason for the evaluation, in plain words.
- The planned treatment date, and the date the report is needed by.
- Where to send the report: a fax number or a way to reach the care team.
- A phone number for a person, not a department menu.
- The patient's name and date of birth, sent the way your own policy allows. A tracked referral on iReferral does not carry them.
How to know it arrived
Start a tracked referral. You get a private link to follow and a link for the dentist. You see when the dentist office opened it, when the visit was scheduled, when it was seen, and when the report was sent. It uses a reference code, not a patient name. It is free for the care team, the dentist and the patient.
Prefer paper? Give the patient the free dental clearance form to take to the dentist.
Who owns the next step after the order is placed?
The ordering team owns it until a dental office has the request. Placing the order does not send anything by itself. Someone on the care team, often the coordinator, has to pick a dental office with the patient and send the request.
What does the dental office need?
The reason for the evaluation, the date the treatment is planned, the date the report is needed by, where to send the report, and a phone number for the care team. Keep patient details to what the office needs to book the visit.
How do we know it arrived?
Ask the dental office to confirm receipt, or use a tracked referral. With a tracked referral you see the time the dentist office opened the request, when the visit was scheduled and seen, and when the report was sent.
What if nobody answers?
Set a check date when you send the request. If the date passes with no answer, call the dental office, then offer the patient a second office.
Questions
Send a request on the request page or call (714) 623-7422.
General information, not medical advice. Your hospital's policy comes first. iReferral does not choose the dentist and does not decide who is ready for treatment.