Is there a place for the use of skin rejuvenation therapy at the Dentist? Should dentists be providing facial cosmetic procedures that have been commonly performed at spas and by the medical profession? Looking at the facts surrounding the uses for skin rejuvenation therapy shifts in your attitude as a dental professional toward these treatment modalities.
The purpose of this article is to introduce how and why you decided to incorporate skin rejuvenation therapy procedures into practice. Later articles will deal with the actual treatment procedures and other related issues in more detail.
Experience Skin Rejuvenation Therapy at The Dentist
We know experience is the key to success involves using the latest technology and advancements in cosmetic skin care, microdermabrasion, and dentistry to chart their course before the changes in the tide inevitably leave them behind. Dentist success is dependent on this concept of continually adapting to a changing world.
“How many of us still struggle with going to the dentist? How many of us still struggle with our skin? How our smile and our skin look plays a role on our confidence. When we look good, we feel good and we make others around us feel good. This has always been my philosophy about beauty. The desire to look is not out of vanity; it’s out of self-love. It takes courage to be able to make a conscientious decision to do something good for ourselves. But damn it’s empowering. What it’s not? It’s not vain and it’s not selfish”. – Dr. Rita Trak (Founder & Medical Director of Dental & Skin Clinic)
Defining Facial & Skin Rejuvenation
Facial and skin rejuvenation is any cosmetic, dental, or medical procedure that is used to restore a younger appearance to the human face without surgery. Facial rejuvenation comprises several treatment modalities. Two of the most common minimally invasive (MI) and reversible methods of treatment include the use of BOTOX and dermal fillers. BOTOX, the natural and purified protein of the clostridium botulinum bacteria, is used to cosmetically soften lines and wrinkles of the face and neck. Approximately 3 to 4 months after the initial BOTOX treatment, the affected muscles will return to their pretreatment condition. Hyaluronic acid dermal fillers are used to restore volume that is lost through the natural aging process. Nine to 12 months after dermal filler treatment, the body naturally resorbs the material.
These 2 treatments are a natural adjunct to aesthetic dentistry and their use can have a major impact on the aesthetic outcome of smile makeovers and comprehensive restorative treatment having a unique selling point in dental marketing. This occurs as a result of their effect on tooth display and the draping of the soft tissue around the mouth. Even dentists who may not be inclined to provide these treatments themselves should at least consider educating themselves in how BOTOX and dermal fillers influence the dental treatment they provide.
Importance Of Photography
As aesthetic dentistry has evolved, photography has taken on an ever-increasing role in providing optimal treatment. From cosmetic imaging that allows a patient to preview a potential course of treatment to laboratory communication and accurate record-keeping, photographs are a vital part of the process.
In the area of facial and skin rejuvenation, patients often have difficulty understanding and communicating what they want to improve. A series of photographs that allows them to view themselves from all angles is required. It also helps the dentist to critically analyse the face and to demonstrate how the muscles of facial expression can affect the smile design.
Why Should Dentists Consider These Treatment Modalities?
Patients who are interested in enhancing the appearance and function of their teeth also frequently want to improve their overall facial and skin appearance. In the past, they have sought treatment for facial and skin enhancement elsewhere. However, dentists are uniquely skilled to provide these treatments for patients. Who has better training and understanding of facial and skin anatomy than dentists? Who is more skilled at giving injections? Who do patients trust to work in areas around their mouths? If dentists can be trained to perform delicate endodontic procedures, sinus lifts for implants, and other involved procedures, are they not capable of performing tiny injections into superficial muscles of the facial area and injecting resorbable gels into superficial areas of the skin, especially since these injections can have a direct influence on other dental treatment?
Dentists are extensively trained in the anatomy and physiology of the head and neck and most are skilled in the delivery of painless injections. In many medical offices and spas in Australia, BOTOX and dermal filler procedures are performed by nurses and assistants with less training. Professional training, as dental students, required to examine the entire head-neck area. Sometime after graduation, many dentists lose track of this training and begin to see only the teeth when they treat a patient.
For example, the muscles responsible for the mid-face expression can have a drastic aesthetic effect in some patients. Have you ever met a beautiful person only to have her smile and show an inch of gingival tissue a gummy smile? No matter how you attempt to look away, your gaze keeps returning and waiting for the gingival display to appear again. Treatment for a gummy smile is often an invasive surgical Leforte procedure or surgical crown lengthening. Alternatively, BOTOX may significantly improve the appearance without having to resort to a surgical procedure. A 2-unit placement of BOTOX is often all that is required to improve the appearance. A 2-minute, a procedure repeated every 3 to 4 months can provide a MI aesthetic improvement in many cases.
Training & Incorporating Skills Learned
Once the basic skills had been learned, the major challenge faced was how to incorporate these skills into the dental practice. After taking any new course and learning new skills, the most difficult task is training your team to incorporate the newly learned information into your existing systems. Although challenging, this task can invigorate your team and provide stimulation for those eager to improve themselves while expanding their horizons in the art and science of dentistry. Medical doctors and other medically trained professionals usually do not fully appreciate the effect that treatment of the upper face can have on tooth display.
Furthermore, it is important to realise that BOTOX and dermal fillers hyaluronic acid have transient effects and need to be replenished at 3-9 month intervals respectively. Unlike medical offices, dental offices typically utilise 3-6 month recare appointment schedules. As a result, repeated facial and skin rejuvenation procedures can be seamlessly incorporated into an existing recare system, thus providing patients with a discrete way of maintaining their BOTOX and dermal fillers.
Are you ready for a newer you with a fresh and radiant smile, and a personalised experience? Contact our recommended Dental & Skin Clinic in Australia at 03 9088 1118 to schedule your consultation. They are excited to provide you with a service worth smiling for.
Conclusion
It is the authors’ opinion that the time has come for dentists to take a serious look at the topic of facial and skin rejuvenation therapy at the Dentist. Patients deserve attention to all relevant aesthetic details and to properly receive these ubiquitous treatments.