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. Of course, other trained personnel such as nurses can also inject botox but in the presence of a trained physician.

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.

Below we will discuss some of the specifics.

What concerns are involved?

All medical professionals who administer botox treatments must receive the specialized training, including dentists. While these treatments are not extremely complicated like some procedures such as brain surgery, an elaborate knowledge of the anatomy is essential to deliver the injections safely and effectively. With injections such as these, there are sometimes side effects, and they can only be properly dealt with by a highly trained expert.

Dentists are generally approved to inject and prescribe botox after they have completed the training for this procedure.

Botox administration by Dentists

At this time, dentists are approved for botox injections in most states in America. 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. The use of botox for cosmetic reasons by dentists however is illegal. Doing so requires a privilege under the Facial Cosmetic Surgery Permit. 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.

Botox treatments for cosmetic reasons have lately been allowed by the Massachusetts Board of Dentistry, for those who have had the intensive training required for these injections.

It is evident that rules are different between states, and it is always worthwhile checking whether it is okay as a dentist to inject botox in patients. But overall, it appears that there is a growing trend of approving dentists to now inject botox for cosmetic purposes.

The controversy

There is a lot of discussion ongoing as to whether dentists should in fact be allowed to inject botox injections for cosmetic purposes. 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. This concurs with some of the state board's guidance of dentists only using botox for dental related procedures.

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

Botox injections are becoming ever more popular with the demand exceeding the number of personnel able to administer the drug. The restrictions by state boards for delivering botox are being updated all the time, and dentists are now being sought out to perform the injections.




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