Dentistry focus: The medical cosmetics business

Due to demand from patients, almost 25% of UK dental practices in the UK offer medical cosmetics treatments such as Botuminum Toxin Type A (commonly referred to as Botox) and dermal fillers.

If you haven’t started to offer these treatments here’s how you can keep your patients happy and give yourself an edge over your competitors, and why you already have an advantage in the medical cosmetics industry.

1. Medical cosmetics treatments around the mouth are often offered along with cosmetic dentistry. Nose-to-mouth lines can be removed using dermal fillers, while lip definition such as an enhanced cupid’s bow can compliment a patient’s more traditional dental work.

2. You are already experienced in injecting when administering local anaesthetics, and good at complex work. Many models suggest that dentists are better at injecting than other clinicians.

3. A sterile environment eases concerns that a potential patient might have prior to considering treatment. A dental practice already has this type of environment, while your competitors in local beauty salons have to work harder to provide this piece-of-mind.

4. Botox and dermal filler treatments typically last between 4-12 months so review and further treatment can be scheduled alongside a patient’s scheduled dental reviews – no extra time required from your patients.

5. You can often find specific training courses that offer theory and practical instruction specifically in the Botox and dermal fillers administration that dentists tend to find more useful, rather than having to spend longer on a generic cosmetics training course.

6. Many dentists undertake the prescribing duties for Botox while allowing their trained dental nurses to administer the hand-on treatments and deal with the patients’ day-to-day requirements and provide advice and medical cosmetic treatment.

7. There are many options for training dental nurses to provide non-Botox treatments.

8. If treatments to the mouth area prove popular the range of treatments can be expanded. Other popular anti-ageing treatments such as dermaroller and skin peels can increase the range of treatments on offer and attract a greater number of patients to the practice.

9. Even if you are attracting patients to your practice for your non-dental treatments you will be creating an income stream that can be working, even when you are away from the practice. And those new patients are all potentially new dental clients, too.

10. The potential earnings of a successful medical cosmetics clinic far exceeds that of an NHS dental practice particularly since the introduction of the contract five years ago. Many NHS dentists, having expanded their practices to offer medical cosmetic treatments, have reduced their working hours considerably.

11. A good training company will offer you more than clinical training. Legislative guidance, mentoring, marketing advice, administrative services and help with product ordering will also be offered if you find a good one.

A quick glossary
Dermal Fillers – the most flexible of medical cosmetics products, used to treat nose-to-mouth lines and provide lip enhancement. Advanced practitioners can also treat glabellar (frown lines between the eyebrows) and peri-oral or ‘smokers’ lines.
Liquid face-lift – a procedure provided by advanced dermal fillers practitioners.

Hyaluronic Acid – the core ingredient of dermal fillers, it’s a natural major component of our skin and it breaks down naturally over time. The hyaluronic acid in our bodies gives our skin its elasticity and hydration. These are the properties that make our skin look youthful. As we age these qualities naturally deteriorate leaving us with lines, wrinkles sunken cheeks and saggy skin.

Teosyal,  Belotero, Restylane – the main dermal filler product names

Botox – mostly used for the treatment of forehead lines, frown lines and crows feet.

Dermaroller – used to treat acne scarring, anti-aging and stretch marks


Medics Direct provide training to dentists in all the popular medical cosmetics treatments and discuss business opportunities with any dentists.

 

You can find further information at www.medicsdirect.com.

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