Practitioners have been diversifying their income streams and responding to patient demand by offering procedures like lip fillers and Botox as they become more socially accepted.
Seven big practice groups now offer facial cosmetic procedures, including Botox, at some branches. This includes My Dentist, Bupa Dental, Portman Dental, Rodericks and Together Dental.
In 2022 an audit commissioned by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPs) shows “6,639 Botox treatments were performed by members, a 124 per cent increase on the previous year.”
Speaking to The Guardian, Len D’Cruz head of indemnity at the British Dental Association, said dentists have been increasingly offering facial aesthetics in response to increased demand for non-surgical “anti-ageing” treatments, as “people realise it’s a very safe thing to do”.
Marc Pacifco, president of the BAAPs, said, “Facial ageing is multifactorial – it involves the skin surface, the underlying muscles, sagging of tissues and changes in volume of the face. Therefore, there are different approaches to each of these factors and different treatments and combinations are required, each tailored to the individual.”
Len commented that he had noticed “younger dentists who want to do it as it’s a bit more exciting and glamorous”. He added, “It’s not as invasive and complicated as dentistry … It’s probably more part of the future of dentistry and a thing people ask for and want more.
“A lot of younger people in their 20s are now getting Botox and using it for wrinkles and crow’s feet, they are not old but have it for skin contouring. People get it done for a range of reasons, so it’s becoming more acceptable.”
Aran Maxwell-Cox, a Mydentist clinician, explained that Botox is the most popular procedure with his patients, “If I treat someone’s teeth, then their face frames their smile, so it’s about looking at it holistically.”
Aran also trains other dental professionals in cosmetic procedures. He commented, “There is a push now in dentistry to have more strings in your bow … Facial aesthetics allows you to do that, but it also allows you into the field of aesthetic medicine, which is so broad and interesting.”
Ashton Collins, director of Save Face, the national registry of accredited non-surgical practitioners, said, “Dentists make up 30 per cent of their registrations.”
She added, “If you are having your teeth done, you may also want to consider lip fillers. Dentists already use Botox to treat teeth grinding, so these treatments go hand-in-hand with dentistry.”