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Pain Relief & Dermal Fillers

Pain relief using local anaesthetic for dermal filler injections

Dermal filler injections are more uncomfortable for the patient than other treatments such as BOTOX® treatment.

This depends on the area treated, with the lips in particular being very uncomfortable because of their denser nerve endings in this area. Many patients are deterred from having dermal filler injections into their lips because of the discomfort of the procedure.

Traditionally, practitioners have used dental blocks blocking the infra-orbital and mental nerves in a similar fashion to that used for the dentist for dental treatment.

While this type of local anaesthetic is very effective at reducing discomfort from the lips during injections, making it almost completely pain free, it has the disadvantage that the local anaesthetic can also affect the muscle tone of the lips.
By reducing the muscle tone they decrease your patient’s ability to contract the muscle and produce the lines which you aim to treat.

At Cosmetic Courses we always advise our trainees to first of all mark the lines they wish to treat prior to inserting the dental blocks so that the landmarks are retained.

Although the marking technique does give indication as to the areas that require volume adjustment, due to a decreased subcutaneous tissue it is not as accurate as seeing the areas for yourself with the muscles contracted which is often not possible with dental blocks.

Whilst EMLA and other topical anaesthetics such as Ametop offer some pain relief this is not complete and, even if these are used, dermal fillers are uncomfortable.

With Juvederm®, the Allergan company introduced a product with local anaesthetic combined with the hyaluronic acid.
This has significant advantages in that, although the first injection is of normal tenderness, the local anaesthetic does permeate through the area and each subsequent injection becomes less painful.

We have found that, if dermal fillers which contain lignocaine are used correctly, the discomfort from dermal filler injections (even in the lips) is significantly reduced and is very tolerable for most of our patients.

Our current preference is to use a dermal filler containing local anaesthetics in the peri-oral area as this has the dual advantage of producing good pain relief for the patient and also preserving the muscle activity allowing you to accurately place the dermal fillers in the correct position.

If you would like to know more about these techniques with dermal fillers to reduce the discomfort for your patients please contact the Cosmetic Courses office on 08452 304 110 or via email at [email protected] to discuss your training needs.

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Dentists and the Medical Aesthetic Industry

It is a well known fact that great teeth can transform a face and takes years off.

A dentist is a highly skilled professional who understands the make up of the face better than most.  Trained in the detailed anatomy and muscular structure, there is no-one who appreciates more the effect that good teeth and firm skin can have on a person`s confidence and nobody understands better how to achieve that outcome.

Dentists have used cosmetic methods like teeth whitening kits for many years to improve their patients’ aesthetic appearances. More recently, however, dentists have started to appreciate the natural link between dentistry, Botox and dermal filler treatments and practices are starting to branch out into this new area.

Botox has been used to treat issues such as temporopmandibular joint disorders and for treatment of chronic migraines and now more and more are looking at its use for aesthetic treatments.

Botox injections and facial fillers are leading the way in the cosmetic procedures department, being largely non- invasive forms of treatment, in comparison with breast surgery or skin tucks and demand is strong.

Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2002 for use cosmetically, Botox is now a widely used and safe procedure enjoyed by many and works by relaxing the muscles that cause wrinkles by movement. Dermal fillers plump out and smooth away wrinkles.

The medical aesthetic industry is made up of practitioners from doctors, dentists and nurses with Professional Associations such as the Association of Facial Aesthetics, who exist to protect, help and support dentists within this field.

As demand grows, so do career opportunities for fully trained individuals in this area. The huge growth is demonstrated by the successful launch in 2010 of the Cosmetic News Expo, offering a chance for cosmetic dentists to gain free education in this field of expertise. Hand in hand with the Expo is a free monthly publication, Cosmetic News, which is full of information for practitioners.

There is plenty of room in the industry for dentists to study with leading training providers like Cosmetic Courses in Botox and Dermal Fillers then go on to become big success stories in their own rights.

Examples of dentists who have moved successfully into the medical aesthetics industry include Dr Komal Suri, who has a passion for beautiful smiles, having trained extensively to be the best she can be. She has attended Aesthetic Advantage Training in New York and studies with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry as well as the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and has attended Master classes.

Dr Brian Franks is a facial aesthetics clinician specialising in wrinkle reduction injections and dermal fillers and as a member of several Aesthetic Facial Associations is well respected in his field. His involvement in this field was a natural progression as demand grew for these services. Both dentists and many more regularly appear on the cosmetic dentistry guide and are recognised as experts who have understood the natural progression from dentistry to cosmetic facial work.

If you would like more information about training courses in Medical Aesthetics for dentists with Cosmetic Courses, please call us today on 0845 230 4110

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