An email arrived in my inbox from a company offering to teach me how to do Botox and fillers.
I have no problem with dentists doing these procedures but I wonder whether most dentists should. If you decide to do Botox and fillers I can see three problems.
First, will you ever be good at it? To be good at a procedure you need to do it all the time. At least daily, preferably multiple times per day. If you do a procedure once or twice a week then you’re only dabbling in it. Are you ever going to do enough Botox and fillers to become highly skilled and efficient at those procedures?
Second, will your net income fall because core dental procedures get displaced from your practice? Your bread-and-butter work is probably crowns, inlays, onlays and fillings. Will your hourly rate be as good when you’re doing Botox and fillers?
Third, what do you want your practice to be known for? There’s value in having a clear identity. If you want to build a reputation for excellent restorative dentistry, will Botox and fillers fit that picture? Maybe they’ll cause confusion among potential patients.
Sometimes I feel dentists take on unusual treatments because their appointment book is not as full as they’d like. Here’s a question to ask yourself: “If my appointment book was full of dentistry I enjoy, would I still want to be doing Botox and fillers?”
If the answer is yes, investigate the training, responsibilities and economics properly. Make it a considered part of your practice. If the answer is no, you’ve probably identified the real problem. Your practice needs more of the work you want to do. Put your energy into attracting more patients and improving case acceptance.
