With the rise of social media and celebrity culture, more and more people are turning to non-surgical treatments to tweak their appearance. These treatments include anti-wrinkle treatment of commonly treated areas such as forehead, smile lines and frown lines as well as volume enhancement of the lips and cheeks with dermal filler.
According to marketresearch.com the facial aesthetics market size was valued at £4.6 billion in 2021 globally and is estimated to reach a staggering £19.3 billion by 2029. This shows that this is a huge market which is set to continue to grow exponentially in the future.
Many dentists have opted to provide facial aesthetics treatments to clients either alongside their dentistry or even altogether instead of dentistry and here is why.
Dentists have a comprehensive knowledge of the facial anatomy which is the solid foundation for providing facial aesthetics treatments
We are very comfortable with injecting the face- we start learning this from early years at dental school which is unique even compared to our medical colleagues. We see this time and time again on our courses where dentists are naturally much more comfortable injecting compared to other healthcare professionals.
We are trusted by our patients and can start introducing these additional services to our existing patients. Having these treatments can feel daunting and patients feel much more at ease if their existing trusted healthcare professional who they see regularly and have built a rapport with over time can provide these treatments for them.
We have the appropriate training to be able to deal with any complications and medical emergencies that may occur.
We have an aesthetic eye and are able to analyse the face and plan suitable treatments accordingly. We have been trained to understand and analyse facial proportions and asymmetries. Now we can correct them with minimally invasive non-surgical treatments.
We can use botulinum toxin and dermal fillers in our smile design treatments to enhance the end result. For example, we can improve gummy smiles using botulinum toxin. We can camouflage the appearance of a retrognathic mandible using dermal filler.
As dental professionals, we commit to a lifetime of continuous professional development and offering these treatments to patients allows us to offer holistic treatment options to patients so that they are aware of all alternative treatment options that are available to them. For example, at dental school we learn about orthognathic surgery to correct malocclusions with an underlying skeletal discrepancy. In reality, we’ll often find that adults who may benefit from orthognathic surgery may not wish to have this comprehensive treatment due to the downtime and invasive nature of the procedure. Instead, they may opt for a non-invasive alternative that may improve their current situation with compromised aims. It is very beneficial for dentists to be able to have the knowledge and skill to discuss non-surgical alternative treatment options with these patients. Of course, every case is unique and needs to be assessed on its own merits, however it is important for us to be able to discuss a comprehensive list of treatment options for the patient so that they can decide what is the most suitable choice for them.
Providing these treatments can be an additional source of income for dentists and an enjoyable alternative to the dental treatments they offer. You’ll often find that your friends, family and colleagues will be the first to request you treat them and this is a great way to practice your new skills and get more and more comfortable in order to treat your other clients.