Q: I have seen in my travels that many dentists are doing Botox and Juvederm. Is this safe?

A: I know this concept is a little hard for many patients to swallow. (Look, believe it or not, 50% of the population is afraid to even get their teeth cleaned by us!)

Many health professionals are providing injectable cosmetics: plastic surgeons, gynecologists, internal medicine doctors, dermatologists and allied health care providers such as physician assistants (PA’s) and estheticians. None of these practitioners learned these procedures in school unless they graduated after 2004. Therefore, they (and myself) learned these skills during recent continuing education courses.

Like anything else, the importance is training. The American Academy of Facial Esthetics trains both dentists and medical doctors on how to use these drugs. Each doctor must know his limitations. One of several advantages of having these procedures performed at the dental office is that they can be combined with your four month check-up and cleaning visits, as most of these drugs wear off in four months. I will address this topic further next week.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Mitchell Josephs will be giving a FREE LECTURE on Incision-Free Dental Implant Surgery, Digital Crowns & Veneers, Choosing a Dental Office and NEW TOPIC: Oral Care for Cancer Patients, at the Double Tree Hotel, PGA Blvd. in Palm Beach Gardens on Thursday January 19^th at 4:00 pm. Attendees will receive a FREE copy of his book: “Tooth Talk”. There are only 37 seats left. Call today to register at 561-832-2917

Dr. Mitchell Josephs practices Cosmetic, Implant and General Dentistry in Palm Beach and hosts the “Tooth Talk” radio show on Fridays at 11am and Tuesdays at 8:30am on WBZT AM1230. (www.radiotoothtalk.com) On staff at Good Samaritan Medical Center, Dr. Mitchell Josephs is a Faculty Advisory Board member at McGill University’s Faculty of Dentistry.  Send questions to drjosephs@palmbeachdentist.com or call 888-DRTOOTH (888-378-6684) or visit www.palmbeachdentist.com