Wednesday, May 22, 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. Those who are certified to administer Botox are specially trained to do so, as there are strict rules when it comes to who has the qualifications to administer it, and generally a physician is recommended to deliver it. 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. 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 are the issues?

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. Side effects can occur and the treating professional needs to be aware of them and capable of handling them.

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

Dentists performing botox treatments

The prescription and administration of botox treatments are allowed by dentists in the majority of the United States. Botox injection procedure is not the same as cosmetic injections of other kinds. 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. Administering it for this reason involves the Facial Cosmetic Surgery Permit to approve of the procedure. 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.

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.

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

There is a lot of discussion ongoing as to whether dentists should in fact be allowed to inject botox injections for cosmetic purposes. This subject has been argued lately with some stating on medical forums that dentists lack the necessary knowledge about facial anatomy, and that only plastic surgeons should perform it. 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.

Conclusion

Botox injections are becoming ever more popular with the demand exceeding the number of personnel able to administer the drug. 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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