The most recent statement from the Dental Board of Australia has been made public, and the board has used this opportunity to remind dentists and other practitioners of its interim policy on the use of Botox and other botulinum toxins. The Board’s interim policy on the use of botulinum toxin and the accompanying information sheet on the responsibilities of dentists while employing botulinum toxin (BTX) and dermal fillers have been deleted from the website while the review is ongoing, as stated in the communiqué. In addition, the communique notes that the Board is continuing to review dentists’ responsibilities regarding the use of Botulinum toxin (BTX) and dermal fillers.
According to the communiqué, The Board has withdrawn the documents knowing that the public remains protected by the Board’s current regulatory policies including the Scope of practice registration standard and accompanying regulations.
Dentists who use substances in their practice such as botulinum toxin and dermal fillers are required to do so while taking into consideration the standards of the Board and any other regulatory authorities that may be applicable. In the majority of jurisdictions, the law stipulates that prescribing may only be done for dental treatment. Dentists and other specialists, in particular, have a duty to verify that they have received training and education in the appropriate use of these agents, that they are capable of making appropriate use of the agents, and that there is written consent regarding both financial matters and informed medical decisions.
To become a registered dentist, one must complete an approved educational program, which the Board recognizes as providing the essential knowledge base for all dentists. This is true for both general and specialty dentists. Expertise in the prescription and administration of Scheduled Medicines can be maintained by ongoing training and study in the use of facial injectables. Continuing one’s education and training in one’s profession is one way to achieve this goal.
As of right now, dental prosthetists, dental hygienists, dental therapists, and oral health therapists do not have any training that is deemed appropriate for the use of botulinum toxin or dermal fillers. This is because these dentists operate outside of areas that allow the use of these medications due to the rules controlling medicines and poisons. Dermal fillers and botulinum toxin are not often part of these doctors’ scope of practice, thus their usage would be problematic.
In several stages of this review, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) was consulted for advice. As a division of Australia’s Department of Health and Ageing, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is in charge of ensuring the safety and efficacy of therapeutic items such as drugs, medical equipment, biologicals, and even blood and blood products.
The Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods is where you can find all of the approved indications that have been made public by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Healthcare providers’ use of scheduled drugs for unapproved uses is not something the TGA monitors or controls (i.e., the indications for which they are listed in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods). Practitioners of medicine should handle this.
A medication’s “off-label” use occurs when it is administered for a condition that is not listed in the product’s official indications for distribution. Because the TGA does not evaluate ‘off-label’ applications, those uses are classed as experimental for that reason.
Dentist who uses botulinum toxin in their practice ought to be knowledgeable about the permitted indications of the scheduled drug they are administering. For instance, treating temporomandibular joint issues or dysfunction with botulinum toxin is considered “off-label” usage.
If a dentist is going to use a scheduled drug “off-label,” it is a clinical decision that has to be discussed with the patient.
