Dentists Are Warned To Beware When Riding Into The Beauty Treatment ‘Wild West’
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- Published: Sunday, 01 August 2021 19:09
- Written by Chris Tapper
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With an increasing number of dentists in the UK venturing into the cosmetic world of Botox and Dermal Fillers, the British Dental Association has urged practitioners to be appropriately protected.
The warning came after, the All Party Parliamentary Group on Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing (the APPG), published its final report into botox, fillers and similar aesthetic non-surgical cosmetic treatments.
The report and inquiry took 12 months to complete.
BBC News reported “The ‘Complete absence’ of regulation of non-surgical beauty treatments, such as botox-style injections and fillers, is dangerous and must urgently change, say MPs.”
Co-Chairs of the APPG, Carolyn Harris MP and Judith Cummins MP, said on the report’s publication “For too long there have been next to no limits on who can carry out aesthetic treatments, what qualifications they must have, or where they can administer them.
“We launched this inquiry as we were deeply concerned that as the number of advanced treatments on the market continues to grow, the regulation remains fragmented, obscure and out of date which puts the public at risk.
The BDA News website said ‘Many patients seeking cosmetic treatment remain unaware of the degree of protection that is missing when seeking apparently similar treatment from an unregulated individual working from premises that have not been inspected by CQC.”
“The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing is calling on the government to address the need for regulation of such procedures and the associated injectable cosmetic agents, including appropriate insurance.”
Describing the current state of the non-surgical cosmetics industry, MP Carolyn Harris told BBC News "It’s like the Wild West."
Dr Len D’Cruz, Head of BDA Indemnity told the BDA News website "The use of injectable cosmetic treatments in the peri-oral area is a useful adjunct to dental treatment when provided by a suitably trained dentist.”
"The GDC considers these treatments within the scope of practice of dentists providing appropriate training has been undertaken.”
Health Correspondent Anna Collinson wrote for BBC News that the APPG on Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing, says that while demand for non-surgical procedures has "exploded" in recent years, the UK government has failed to keep up - with aesthetic training courses almost entirely unregulated.”
The Parliamentary group made 17 recommendations, including making fillers prescription only, and developing an mandating psychological pre-screenings of customers.
In 2018, Dr Jalpesh Patel, a dentist and advanced facial aesthetic practitioner argued in the British Dental Journal, that dental professionals should ensure there is greater accountability and transparency in the growing aesthetics sector and that “A register of practitioners is a good place to start.”
Dr Patel wrote “Certainly, the demand for aesthetic dentistry and increasingly, facial aesthetic treatments utilising botulinum toxin and dermal fillers has never been greater.”
“Those dentists dental hygienists and therapists who place injections daily have a sound knowledge of facial anatomy and understand the importance of detailed assessment, the consent procedure, infection control and complications management.”
“This means we are well placed to offer and administer aesthetic treatments. For many of us, it is a natural progression to extend services to offer non-surgical cosmetic interventions to patients.”
The General Dental Council website says that “Whilst hygienists and therapists can administer Botox if they are trained, competent and indemnified to do so, they cannot carry out Botox treatment direct.”
“This is because Botox is a prescription-only medicine (POM) and needs to be prescribed by a registered doctor or dentist who has completed a full assessment of the patient.”
The non-surgical cosmetics business has not been without high-profile criticism.
Famously, Men Behaving Badly actor Leslie Ash was victim of ‘botched’ dermal lip fillers when she had a severe reaction to the procedure, making her lips swell to an alarming size, “Which they’ve never recovered from,”, according to the Daily Mirror.
Speaking to The Sun in May 2021, Ms Ash said “The only thing I’d say to people is: Do your homework.”
"I thought it was a dermal filler that my body would just break down.
"But unbeknownst to me they used an industrial filler which got mixed up with my muscle.
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