Recently, there has been a lot of debate about injectable treatments, such as Botox and fillers, being administered by practitioners who don’t have the wealth of experience and training that their patients would hope and expect. In the light of a recent story in the press about a woman who lost her sight in one eye and was ‘grossly disfigured’ after being injected with dermal fillers included silicone which were injected into the wrong areas of her face, many have been calling for stricter regulation of cosmetic practitioners.
Thanks to the rapidly growing market for non-surgical anti-ageing treatments, we’re now seeing a stream of non-healthcare practitioners, such as beauty therapists, entering the marketplace, and the public may struggle to establish which of the wide array of companies offering Botox and fillers really can be trusted to deliver best practice.
In this environment, turning to your trusted dentist, who you know has a host of advanced dental qualifications might seem like the safest way to receive cosmetic injectables from someone who you know is highly qualified and who you can trust. However, while some dentists have spent years studying the latest advances in cosmetic injectables, some just know the basics, so even when you have the reassurance of being seen by someone wearing a white coat, it’s still worth doing your research.
Tracey Bell is seeking to find out more about how dentists handle injectable treatments as part of her MA in Dental Law and Ethics. Tracey said: “I’m surveying 200 dentists and am asking questions such as: “Should the General Dental Council regulate cosmetic injectables (Botox and fillers), when performed by Dental Professionals?” She added: “I’m keen to find out more about the views of fellow dental professionals and also to find out how much ongoing training they’ve had in administering injectable treatments.”
At present, there is no regulatory body or any formal process of regulation regarding the administration of non-surgical facial aesthetics and Tracey, like many in the industry, is keen to see more safeguards for patients brought in.
In theory, anyone can perform non-surgical facial aesthetic procedures, but as insurers will only cover medically trained professionals such as dentists, medical doctors and medical nurses, this does give some reassurance to patients. However, many would still like to see more regulation in terms of training required for medical professionals who wish to administer Botox or fillers at their practices.
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