When a patient comes to you for a lip flip or gummy smile treatment with Botox, sometimes it’s best to turn them away or suggest another kind of treatment. That’s because you could harm the patient’s ability to speak, sip through a straw and more if they have an existing lip dysfunction. Excellent injectables training involves knowing when to treat and when to say no.

Before performing any Botox injections under the nose, it’s important to make sure the patient has normal lip function to begin with. As Dr. Howard Katz explains in this quick video tip:

There’s a simple test you can perform: Have the patient pucker up. If the V in the middle of the lip – what some people call the Cupid’s bow – stays in the middle as they pucker, they’re fine. If it pulls to one side or the other, however, they have an existing lip issue. If you treat with Botox, there’s a good chance your patient won’t have lip competency, so they will drool when they drink and experience other lip problems.

New Botox injectors naturally want to treat every patient that comes their way. After all, you want to help, and you want the income. But there are many cases that are too complex for beginning injectors or poor candidates for Botox treatment that not even the best-trained injector should tackle. Knowing the difference and knowing when you should respectfully decline a patient’s request is part of being well-trained.

To learn more about Botox and dermal fillers, injectables training from Dentox is available in a manner that makes sense for you. Reach out for online, on demand and in-person injectables training designed with practical usage in mind. Every Dentox program is filled with tips and pieces of advice like this one that will help you make smart decisions for your practice and your patients.