Referring Doctors
Welcome. If this is your first visit please take a moment to view the information on this page to take better advantage of this site. Below you will find a blue link (Referring Doctor Log In) taking you to a doctor log in section. This will allow you and your staff to access the data base of your patients seen in our office and to make an online referral if your office has internet access.
If you have not received a user name and password, have lost it, or are new to our office, please email or call our office for your username and password. Please also let us know if you encounter any problems or error message when logging onto or using this site so we can correct the problem.
Tel: 707.447.7576 Email: carmandds@sbcglobal.net
For access to your patient's treatment information or for online referral click : Referring Doctor Log In
Your Patient Data Base
Starting August 08, the names of any patient of yours seen in our office will be in this data base. In addition to your patient's name, for any patient of yours seen after August 08, you will also find a treatment or evaluation report, relevant images, and a copy of any written correspondence sent to your office via snail mail.
This information will usually be available the day or day after your patient was seen and well before you receive written correspondence. This online information will be in addition to, rather than in place of, traditional written correspondence sent via the
Tips for using your patient data base:
- After logging on you need to put in the first letter of your patient's last name in the search box to find your patient's record.
- You need to select a tooth number from the drop down selection box for each particular patient.
- Two useful reports under the Reports menu are 1) Patients Completed--Need Restoration and 2) Patients Completed--need no further restoration.
- Note that you may reset your username and password to whatever you wish after logging on.
Online Referrals
You will see a section for online referrals after logging in. If you or your staff use this method of referral, please indicate if an x-ray is being mailed.
Email Referrals
If you have a digital or scanned image the simplest way to make a referral is to just email the patient contact information, tooth number, clinical information, and attach the image to the same email. Send to our front desk at
Front Desk: carmandds@sbcglobal.net
Paper Referrals
These still work too!
FAQ re Referrals
Several recurring questions come up regarding referrals. Our reason for handling referrals the way that we do is to provide the best possible care for your patient. If our handling of new patient referrals does not meet your expectations or needs, please let us know. We have made changes in the past to improve our care based on feedback from referring doctors. Please speak up! We have a common goal and your suggestions and feedback are welcome.
Why do you require an x-ray before scheduling treatment? We indicated on the referral what was needed. My patient would just like to schedule treatment and have the x-ray taken at the start appointment.
This topic has been an annoyance for some offices as well as some patients. We appreciate the sometime hassle of needing an x-ray before scheduling but there are a number of reasons for needing a film:
- We do not schedule the same type of appointment or the same amount of time for every tooth. This is to your patient's benefit.
- Some teeth can be treated in one visit but some require multiple visits. It is not possible to schedule the correct amount of time for a particular tooth without first seeing what the situation is.
- Some have a high chance of a fracture (e.g. shallow filling, never restored, or large MOD restoration). Those suspected of having a possible root fracture are always scheduled in two visits.
- Sometimes the tooth has become asymptomatic before the appointment and the inability of Dr. Carman to confirm the need for treatment and correct tooth (with clinical testing and adequate documentation of that testing) has the potential to become a standard of care/legal issue.
- On some occasions, it has turned out to be a different (or additional) tooth than the one initially diagnosed
- In some cases patients change their mind about treatment when other options are explained.
Can your office take the x-ray?
Certainly, but if you have one and send/email it with the referral, we can often save your patient a trip. If a film is not available we are fine to take one at an evaluation visit or to have the patient stop in to take one before scheduling. We are unable to schedule a treatment appointment without an x-ray though for the reasons above.
Does every patient need a Consultation/Evaluation appointment before scheduling treatment?
No. We know most patients prefer to schedule treatment and save the additional visit needed for an evaluation. We like to as well when it is not needed. So for an obvious case (carious exposure, apical lucency, etc.) in which endodontic treatment is clearly indicated and the treatment of choice, we will schedule a treatment appointment unless the patient prefers a consultation first (which we are always happy to do if the patient desires it).
Why do you sometimes require a consultation/evaluation even when we have indicated what is needed on the referral slip?
For many of the same reasons listed for the first FAQ. It is not a lack of trust or respect for the referring doctor's diagnostic abilities.
Email Treatment Reports
Also beginning in August 08, we will be sending a copy of any written report by email to all doctors who have email. This will be in addition to--not in place of--the traditional hard copy sent via snail mail. Due to the various email programs and formatting options for them, please let us know if these email reports are unreadable. We will try to reformat it for you so that is readable and useful. Please also let us know if you'd prefer not to receive email copies of reports.
Your Feedback Sought
Website problems? Have a complaint? Suggestions? If you encounter technical problems with this site please let us know so we can correct it. I also invite your feedback, comments, and suggestions. Not only for this web site but for any aspect of the care and treatment of your patients--past or present. We cannot change or improve what we are unaware of so I would genuinely appreciate any feedback you give us!
Thank you,
John Carman
Office Front Desk: carmandds@sbcglobal.net
Dr. Carman: jc@jcarman.com