Botox is All the Rave

DENTISTS are giving their patients Botox injections and lip enhancements for cosmetic purposes, despite regulations stating they should only use the procedures to treat dental problems.

Myles Holt, a dentist who heads the Australian Academy of Dento-Facial Aesthetics, says he has trained more than 150 Australian and New Zealand dentists to inject Botox and dermal fillers into a patient's lips, cheeks, forehead and gums.

Under rules set by the Dental Board of Australia, dentists should only use Botox to treat a condition which causes facial pain and teeth grinding.
Advertisement: Story continues below

The toxic protein, derived from the botulinum bacteria, works by weakening targeted muscles. This can ease spasms, tension and pain, as well as reduce wrinkles and other signs of ageing.

The Sunday Age understands that Allergan, the Australian supplier of Botox, is receiving daily calls from dentists who want to buy the drug, many of whom have taken Dr Holt's course.

''I currently administer Botox to my patients, mainly because I and my patients were dissatisfied with the results received elsewhere and we knew we could get better results by combining our cosmetic dentistry with enhancing the surrounding tissues all in one place and at one appointment,'' Dr Holt said.

''We had numerous cases where patients' dentistry was affected by the poor lip enhancements they received from GPs who didn't understand the nuances of smile design.''

Allergan insists it supplies the restricted drug in accordance with the dental board's policy, but Dr Holt, who freely admits to using it for cosmetic purposes, says the pharmaceutical company is his main supplier.

By law, Botox is only allowed to be administered by doctors, and nurses who are under the supervision of a doctor, if they can prove a ''therapeutic need''. However, it is widely used for cosmetic purposes.

Dr Holt says dentists have superior knowledge of facial anatomy and has lodged a complaint with the dental board about its ''fundamentally flawed'' rules, arguing the use of Botox by dentists is common practice in Asia, the US and parts of Europe.

''In the past we would do large dental cosmetic cases and then find we'd have to refer them off for treatments that would enhance that or improve the soft tissues around the mouth, and it just really didn't make sense,'' Dr Holt said.

''Dentists are equally if not more qualified to be doing these procedures than their medical counterparts.''

Doctors argue dentists lack the medical training to give Botox injections.

Gabrielle Caswell, president of the Cosmetic Physicians Society of Australasia, said a patient's full medical history must be taken before the drug is administered.

''It is a medical procedure, not a dental procedure, and there are enough trained medical practitioners who can do it, so there's really no need for dentists to be doing it,'' Dr Caswell, said

However, Dr Holt said doctors were only concerned about dentists encroaching on their turf. He said doctors also freely administer Botox for cosmetic purposes despite laws stating a therapeutic need must first be established.

''The industry amongst medical practitioners and nurses is poorly regulated and controlled,'' he said.

''They realize dentists will have an advantage in providing these treatments and do not have a single scientifically based logical reason why dentists should not.''

A spokeswoman for the Dental Board of Australia said it expected ''registered practitioners to comply with the standards and policies set by the board''.

Some things you may not know about Botox before you get your injections is that you need a prescription and only a Physician can administer it. What most doctors should talk to you about before administering Botox is alternatives. Botox is not always needed, especially if you're still in your early thirties. So if you're not in your thirties yet you may consider using the alternatives your doctor advises.

On the first consultation with your doctor he or she Will need to know your full medical history. There are conditions with certain neuromuscular diseases that restrict you from using Botox.

Botox can be extremely uncomfortable during the procedure doctors don't administer Botox with anesthesia. There are however different things you can do to lessen the discomfort of the injections. Ask your doctor If he has any numbing creams or ice packs available these will reduce the pain of your Botox injections

Try to make another appointment approximately four months after your first botox procedure. If you don't continue these procedures every four months your lines will return. Plan for your injections and make sure you have 1/2 day off for recovery. Two of the most common side effects to Botox injections is nausea and possible drooping of your eyelids. These side effects usually disappear within a few hours.