General practice dentists often follow a philosophy that focuses almost exclusively on teeth, especially when in terms of esthetic treatments.  While treatments like whitening and veneers have their place, they are just one aspect of facial esthetics.

The teeth are only one part of a beautiful smile.  That smile also depends on the tissue both in and around the mouth, such as lips, cheeks, chin, jowls, and nasolabial folds.

BOTOX is the leader in esthetic products, closely followed by products such as JUVEDERM and Restylane.  Nearly every popular magazine features celebrities who have had these treatments, as well and whitening and veneers to enhance their appearance.  Despite the increasing familiarity with these products, dentists meet with mixed reactions when they offer the procedures as part of their practice.

Dentists can gauge their patient’s receptiveness to dermal fillers by adding the question “Have you ever had BOTOX or dermal fillers?” to their medical history forms.  You might be surprised at the answers.

BOTOX and related products have becoming increasingly established within the scope of dentistry.  The procedures have been found to have a number of useful dental applications beyond facial esthetics, including orofacial pain relief and treatment of bruxism.  Your practice can benefit greatly from offering these services as part of your practice.

There are very good reasons why facial injectable products are a rapidly growing aspect of dentistry.  All it takes for many dentists is to crunch the numbers to find they will come out ahead by offering BOTOX and dermal filler products in the office.  Getting started is inexpensive and easy.  There is no large equipment to buy (or find room for) and no monthly payments.

The equipment needed to perform these procedures is not expensive, the primary cost comes from the actual pharmaceutical products.  It is not necessary to stockpile a huge inventory of these.  As soon as you start to run low, you can place your order and have the product in your office as soon as the very next day.

Getting started with injectables does involve one fairly significant investment, but it is one that will dramatically improve the rest of your career.  Before you begin offering BOTOX or dermal fillers in your office, you must first be trained in their use.  You didn’t learn how to perform implants or other procedures by just watching a video or reading a book, and injectable procedures are just the same.  You need instruction from a skilled provider, training on live patients, a thorough grasp of the products you will be using, knowledge of the anatomy you will treat, and what can and cannot be accomplished with these procedures.

Training courses involving live patients are now frequently offered at dental meetings.  These courses cover all the clinical knowledge needed, including anatomy and physiology and preventing and treating adverse reactions.  Course participants are often surprised to find that the BOTOX injections only take a few minutes to administer.  Dermal filler procedures can take a little longer, but can still be done in 15 minutes or less.

Once you have completed training and performed the procedures a few times, you’ll be amazed at just how many of them you can do each week.  Do you think you can fit in a few lucrative 5-15 minute procedures into your busy day?  I’d be surprised if you couldn’t.

You’re probably thinking of all the patients in your practice who don’t want to pay for dental restorations.  You would be surprised at how many of those same people will happily pay for facial esthetic treatments.  Many patients have opinions that differ from their dentists regarding what procedures are most important, and of course, the patient is the one who chooses which procedures to have, and where to spend their money.  However, getting the patient into the office for injectable esthetic or pain treatment makes it much more likely that those patients will then invest a little more in those needed dental procedures.

Dentistry is the only healthcare profession capable of practicing total facial esthetics because dentists are the only professionals able to treat the teeth along with providing injectable therapies.  Because of this unique skillset, dentists have a singular opportunity to offer facial esthetics with dentistry as a single package.

If you’re thinking about incorporating BOTOX and dermal fillers to your practice, there are several different ways to establish fees.  Fees can be based on how much product is used, areas of the face to be treated, or a flat rate can be set for total facial esthetics with a smile makeover.

Depending on how much product you use, areas treated, and whether treatment includes any soft tissue enhancement, patient fees can start at $800 and go all the way to $3,000, and that doesn’t include dental treatments.  You can expect to spend anywhere from 5-20 minutes on the procedure and about $100-700 on materials.  It doesn’t take long for the profit to add up, especially considering how little time is needed to do the procedure.

Demand for these types of treatments is increasing, and many healthcare professionals are stepping up to meet the demand.  If you keep your focus on basic dentistry, you’ll soon fall behind.  In the end your patients will appreciate being able to receive comprehensive treatment from someone they already know and trust.

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