Patient groups slam dentists' Botox plan

By Nadeeja Koralage London

UK NHS dentists are branching out into cosmetic surgery treatments, but patients' groups are reacting angrily. With private treatment costing about £200 ($360; €300) a session, NHS pressure group Health Emergency says new Botox injections will get in the way of traditional dental treatment. The group's spokesperson, John Lister, said, "This treatment is neither dental, nor medical--it's purely cosmetic. It's difficult enough to get an appointment at a dentist's, without also having to work around unnecessary cosmetic surgery appointments."

"Many NHS dentists are going on courses to find out more about offering these services. But it is simply not their job to do so, and the result is that they neglect their patients. Last month a new dental practise opened in Scarborough and hundreds of people queued up around the block to join."

J FRANCKI/PUBLIPHOTO/SPL

Patient groups: what a load of Botox

But private dentist Norman Mills, who has been offering Botox injections to his patients for over a year, said, "The Botox treatment is successful and is very safe. It has been promoted by the public's demand."

Mills explained that with the introduction of fluoride in drinking water and with patients taking better care of their teeth, the role of the dentist has changed: "The public are more aware of how to look after their teeth. Dentists have studied head and neck anatomy and are more than capable of offering this service. NHS dentists are paid on a piecework system, and they need to offer more services to maintain their pay."

"I would recommend any NHS dentist to offer this service--if the treatment is safe, then the patients are happy," he added.

A spokesperson for the British Dental Association said, "We don't know how many NHS dentists are offering these services. We are currently deciding our policy on the situation." The spokesperson added that a decision would be reached by mid-April.