Synergy between Oral and Plastic surgeons in facial aesthetic medicine: a continuous collaborative workflow

This paper introduces the Dento-Facial Continuity Workflow (DFCW), a structured model for continuous collaboration between dentists/oral surgeons and plastic surgeons in facial aesthetic medicine, with a focus on the lower third of the face. The workflow transforms episodic referrals into a longitudinal co-planning pathway through a shared diagnostic bundle (e.g., standardized photography, intraoral scans, and CBCT when clinically justified), joint decision checkpoints (the Dento-Facial Board), staged sequencing from hard-tissue stabilization to soft-tissue refinement, and an explicit operating-room branch supported by a pre-OR planning packet. The DFCW also embeds risk governance (stop rules, imaging ownership, complication readiness) and milestone-based outcome loops. The model is scalable, designed for adoption from minimal documentation to advanced digital integration, and intended to improve coherence, safety, and predictability in interdisciplinary dento-facial care.