Can a dentist perform Botox injections?

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7 answers to “Can a dentist perform Botox injections?”

A: Can a dentist perform Botox injections?

Peter A. Aldea, MD

Anyone with a medical license or "supervised" by someone with a medical licensed is allowed to inject Botox in people's faces. Isn't that scary? The same scenario applies to who can do a Facelift, a breast augmentation or a tummy tuck. Here any doctor despite his/her training can perform ANY... more

A: Legal but ???wise

Arnold R. Oppenheim, MD

The legality of a dentist injecting Botox would be up to the state Board of Dentistry. THe ethics of  an individual dentist ilnjecting Botox would depend on a balance between that dentist;s level of greed versus his ethical level.         While Botox injections are... more

A: Botox and dentists

Steven Wallach, MD

Any medical or dental professional has access to inject Botox.  But wouldn't you prefer to have a trained doctor in the field do it?  Most doctors don't pull teeth or drill cavities because they were not trained to do so.  There is  good reason for that.  The core physicians who are... more

A: Botox is a medication best used by experienced physicians

Kamran Jafri, MD

The short answer to your questions is yes - Dentists can perform Botox injections. For that matter so can OB/GYNs, Family Doctors and Podiatrists. Botox is a medication that any licensed heath care provider can use for their patients. The better question is: Should you go to your dentist for Botox? Botox is... more

A: The real question is who SHOULD perform Botox injections

Shahram Salemy, MD

More and more commonly, practioners without cosmetic surgery training, without surgical training, and even without a medical license are performing a whole host of cosmetic procedures, from Botox to Lasers, Lipo to breast augmentation. Whether or not an individual "can" perform a procedure legally or... more

A: Yes; Should a dentist inject Botox is another debate

Michael A. Persky, MD

In the United States, the laws vary from state to state.  Ethics are a different matter.  They are the same in every state. Botox is a medical procedure with risks and complications.  Anyone can (and does) inject Botox, I think my dry cleaner is now offering Botox injections, but patients must... more

A: Each state has regulations governing dental professionals. Check with the local dental/medical boads

Ira D. Papel, MD

Each state has laws and regulations which govern the scope of practice of dental professionals (DDS and DMD degrees). Patients interested in injectable treatments such as Botox or dermal fillers should check with the medical and dental boards where they live to determine if dentists are authorized to provide... more

Comments

Brian Warner, DMD
unregistered guest

1 Jul 2009

The real question should be, would you prefer if an actual doctor (whether it be a physician or a dentist) performed the procedure, or if their staff did it. What these responses fail to clarify is that most dermatologists and plastic surgeons do not actually perform the Botox injection, rather a “qualified” technician at their office does. So would you prefer a high school graduate that attended a one day course but happens to work with your local plastic surgeon doing this or an actual dentist who has been through college and four-plus years of higher education and has a solid understanding of facial anatomy? The reality is that this is a financial “turf war” and everybody wants to keep the profits to themselves. When laser hair removal, dermal fillers, botox, and the likes are done at every corner store, physicians should not get pompous about a dentist performing a relatively simple procedure.

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