May 20, 2013

Dentists Performing Botox Injections

By Erin O'breen


There are different reasons that people may wish to have Botox injections administered by a trained professional, sometimes it's for medical issues, and other times it's simply to enhance the appearance of the patient. Performing Botox injections should be done by a doctor in most cases, as the standards that are required to deliver these injections are very strictly enforced. Of course, other trained personnel such as nurses can also inject botox but in the presence of a trained physician.

The question of whether dentists are qualified for the prescription and administration of botox treatments has been brought up lately. There can be a number of factors that play a role in deciding this, including state laws and guidelines.

Let's take a look at this a bit further.

What are the issues?

The proper training must be taken, as dentists who deliver botox are bound by the same guidelines as other medical personnel. Granted botox injections are hardly similar to complex heart surgery, but it is still necessary to understand the intricate details of the human anatomy to produce the desired results. Side effects can occur and the treating professional needs to be aware of them and capable of handling them.

In other words, dentists who are trained in prescribing and administering botox injections will likely be allowed to inject botox.

Dentists performing botox treatments

Most states in the United States now allow dentists to administer botox injections. There is a difference between standard injections for cosmetic reasons, and the way botox is administered. To illustrate this, botox can be injected for the treatment of myofascial conditions and is covered by a dental plan as allowed by the Dental Board of California. It is not however legal for a dentist to use botox to treat cosmetic issues. The Facial Cosmetic Surgery Permit is the authority who regulates this kind of treatment. Board approved courses are taught in some states like Georgia, they lay out the exact specifications of administering the toxin, and the different types available and of course rigorous review of the anatomy of the face.

More recently, the Massachusetts Board of Dentistry approved dentists who have had practical training in cosmetic injection treatments to administer botox and fillers for cosmetic purposes.

Botox injections by dentists have different requirements according to the particular state involved, patients must look at the rules in the state for themselves. But overall, it appears that there is a growing trend of approving dentists to now inject botox for cosmetic purposes.

The arguments in question

Some debate is happening presently for and against dentists being approved to cosmetically treat patients using botox injections. There are those who feel that dentists do not have the same level of knowledge of facial anatomy as plastic surgeons have, and talk is happening on medical forums about this topic. Some state boards recommendations are partly in line with this, that dentists should only perform botox treatments for purposes related to dentistry.

Dentists, on the other hand, have a different opinion, they say that their understanding of maxillofacial and facial anatomy is highly advanced, making them qualified to administer botox, as much or more so than some doctors. At this time, it looks like it will be years before this debate is finished.

Conclusion

As more people are in the market for this type of procedure, the medical field is looking for new ways to meet the needs of patients who would like botox injections. With ever changing policies, state boards are now approving dentists to treat patients who would like to have botox treatments performed.




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