Botox: Soon at your dentist?

Minneapolis - Dentists in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area have begun marketing cosmetic treatments, Healthland.Time.com reports.

At least half a dozen Twin Cities dentists are advertising cosmetic Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA, Allergan) and dermal filler treatments along with dental procedures, according to a recent article in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

Dentists already use Botox to treat dental problems such as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, and are now marketing Botox cosmetic treatments as simply an extension of what they already do.

The Star-Tribune article quotes Michael Skadron, D.D.S., a Minneapolis dentist who offers cosmetic Botox treatments, as saying, “As a dentist, I’m very well-trained in the musculature and anatomy of the face, and I feel no other doctor can give an injection better than a qualified and experienced dentist.” Dr. Skadron adds that he’s aiming to have non-dental cosmetic procedures constitute 10 percent of his business.

Minnesota dentists are allowed to administer Botox as long as they adhere to the same standards of care to which specialists are held. Other states - California and Nevada, for instance - maintain that general dentistry does not encompass the use of Botox treatments for cosmetic purposes.