Dentists Administering Botox Treatments

By Erin O'breen


Botox injections are administered by trained personnel in cosmetic surgery to improve one's appearance, be it for personal reasons or for medical reasons. There are rather stringent guidelines on who should be allowed to inject botox injection, with the overall suggestion being that a trained doctor should be performing them. Injections may also be delivered by other certified medical professionals like nurses, when a doctor is supervising.

Inquiries have been made as of late about botox injections that are prescribed and delivered by a dentist. Many considerations are made while determining the qualifications, and part of that are the laws of the state where it is administered.

We will examine this in closer detail.

What concerns are involved?

All medical professionals who administer botox treatments must receive the specialized training, including dentists. 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 and botox injections

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. For example, the Dental Board of California allows dentists to inject botox to diagnose and treat myofascial conditions that form a part of a dental treatment plan. It is not however legal for a dentist to use botox to treat cosmetic issues. Administering it for this reason involves the Facial Cosmetic Surgery Permit to approve of the procedure. 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.

Dentists who have completed the necessary training involved for cosmetic injection are newly allowed because of approval from the Massachusetts Board of Dentistry in that state.

Since states have their own separate rules on this subject, patients should do their own research into whether their dentist is permitted to administer these treatments. But overall, it appears that there is a growing trend of approving dentists to now inject botox for cosmetic purposes.

The controversy

Allowing dentists to administer botox to treat cosmetic issues has people debating if this should be approved. Discussions on a number of medical forums have constantly stated that they should be performed by trained plastic surgeons that have a better understanding of facial anatomy than dentists do. The board in the state has some stipulations that agree with this assessment, and say only dentistry related botox treatments should be approved for dentists.

However, the dentists would argue otherwise, stating that their knowledge of facial and maxillofacial anatomy is good if not better than many physicians, thus making them the right people to administer botox. The argument will likely be ongoing over the next several years, until it is resolved.

Synopsis

The number of patients requesting botox treatments seems to be surpassing the ability of medical professionals to deliver them, due to rising demand. Dentists are now getting approved to provide botox treatments with state boards issuing new guidelines constantly.




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