Where does one draw the line between beauty and medicine? The line is becoming more blurred than ever, with the introduction of botox injections at the dentist's office.
From a patient's point of view, it could be convenience at it's finest.
After all, if you're already there, it might as well be done at the same time.
From a professional standpoint, many are cringing at the thought of mixing medicine with the quest for beauty.
Imagine your local dentist telling you at your regular visit that you need to "Brush, floss and Botox.
" It might take a little getting used to.
Since 2007, BC's College of Dental Surgeons included Botox injections within the scope of dentistry and dental procedures.
Since that time, "medi spas" have been popping up in Western Canada that offer a range of services from one facility, including general dentistry, laser hair removal, skin care and facial rejuvenations such as Botox and fillers.
Some medi spas even boast an in-house photography studio.
Now forced to share the booming and lucrative Botox market, turf wars have arisen between medical professionals competing for a share of the Botox for beauty market.
If the average dentist can be trained to do most Botox injections with just a little bit of extra education, the cost of ever-popular Botox treatments could be on the way down.
This is good news for savvy shoppers who can now shop around for good prices for these injections.
For dentists who don't care to become trained to deliver botox injections, hiring a doctor to come into the clinic a few times a week to do injections for the patients requesting them has become a successful venture.
However, there are still those in the medical profession who voice concern over the ethics of mixing Botox treatments with traditional dentistry.
Fearing that the mix will tarnish the good name of medicine, they prefer the two practices to remain as far apart as possible.
For decades, dentistry has toyed with the beauty market.
While some dental procedures obviously fall under the medical umbrella, what about the ever popular cosmetic dentistry procedures that arguably are performed for cosmetic reasons alone? Perhaps the not so distinct line between dentistry and beauty has already become so blurry that it no longer seems out of the ordinary to mix the two professions.
Cosmetic dentistry is an unregulated branch of dentistry, covering a plethora of cosmetic improvements for a demanding market.
Botox at the dentist may soon be as commonplace as veneers at the dentist.