Dentists Performing Botox Injections

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. 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. Other qualified medical staff are also able to deliver the injections as well, if a certified doctor is present, a nurse can administer the treatment, for example.

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.

Below we will discuss some of the specifics.

Which are the points in question?

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.

Basically, when the necessary training is completed a dentist should be approved for botox injection treatments and of course, prescribing the treatments. .

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. A dental plan in the state of California would permit a dentist to treat myofascial conditions with botox, the Dental Board of California certifies this. A dentist can not legally administer botox treatments for conditions that are of the cosmetic variety. Doing so requires a privilege under the Facial Cosmetic Surgery Permit. Within the state of Georgia, dentists need to take a 21 hour board approved course that details out facial anatomy and the exact techniques of using botox and the available market forms of it.

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.

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 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. 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. 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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