to think my dentist should not have f*****d up my first botox?

[regretbot]

I had my first botox a few weeks ago, I asked for a subtle eye brow lift and came away with a completely immobile and bruised left side of my forehead. I can't raise my left eyebrow at all, it's actually lower than it was in the first place. The right side has only a tiny movement, but at least it doesn't feel heavy.

In the two week review his reponse to this was to say he'd 'make a note'. Apparently this was so that next time he'd do better. I honestly have no intention of going back. I've lost trust completely.

Is this normal? I signed all sorts of forms before the treatment, but assumed he'd do a good job. He's known me for years. In retrospect he was just looking to sell me as much as possible.

Do I just have to suck it up and wait for the botox to wear off? I mean i know i just have to wait for the botox to wear off, but shouldn't he be offering me a refund or something?

Eh, you chose to get a load of crap injected into your face, I'm struggling to sympathise.

Stop spreading false information please. The risks to Botox (done by a medical professional) are negligible. Do you really believe that they’d use it to treat muscle spasticity in children if it wasn’t safe?

First time he should have gone conservative. I go to a dermatologist surgeon.

Anyone can do Botox these days . A friend did a one day course and now does Botox . I mean would you ? It’s a no from me

It’s widely known that dentists make some of the best Botox practitioners. They are experts in the maxillofacial area and study it for years.

My old dentist has actually left dentistry and set up his own aesthetics practice and spends much of his time teaching other dentists how to administer Botox.

Who would you describe as a 'medical aesthetics" doctor? What particular qualifications do they have?

Dermatologists aren't surgeons. They might do minor surgical procedures, but they don't have surgical qualifications.There are some very strange ideas on this thread, particularly those who think a dentist wouldn't be a suitable person to use for Botox. They have more training in head and neck anstomy than many doctors.

I wish our society had not got into this state - women pay people to inject toxins into their faces. Because society has drummed into them that they must forever look 25

op I bet you look perfectly nice. Save your money and don’t visit this clown again.

The big issue is that there is no definition for a medical aesthetics doctor, absolutely anyone can do a day of training in Botox and fillers and claim to be one.

My own trained in maxillofacial surgery before opening his own private clinic and spending the last 20 years doing solely Botox and other non-surgical aesthetic treatments.

To be fair, dental students spend their first two years learning all about the anatomy of the head. Medical students spend a term on it. So it’s not as batshit as it first sounds.

I agree I would still want somebody properly trained though!

OP the heavy feeling should subside pretty quickly. Unfortunately 'brow droop' is one of the risks of having botox in that area and I would expect a competent injector to talk that through with you, and also to start off really light then see what needs topping up at the follow up appointment. I believe they can inject under the brow to lift it a little, though I'd understand if you didn't want this person near you with a needle again.

I don't care what dentists learn about faces (do they really learn about eyebrows?) - the best cosmetic injector you can choose is the one who comes highly recommended by people who have been to them over and over again. Ideally they will have excellent work themselves. I'm going to stick with my Dr who is confident enough in her ability to do her own face and it looks great, that means more to me than whatever she originally trained in.

For fillings, crowns etc you go to the dentist. For Botox, fillers etc you go to dermatologist or skin aesthetician.

What a world we live in. People can’t get basic dental healthcare while dentists do Botox.

Dentists doing Botox in their free time, which they are perfectly entitled to do and people not being able to get dental care are in no way related whatsoever. It’s a lack of NHS & government funding at cause.

I tire of hearing this public relations marathon that dentists are “so good” for Botox because they study the structures of the face. Yes, but there are two huge problems that I can see:

1. They’re not informed, the way a proper aesthetic physician would be, about whether Botox should or shouldn’t be used at all or whether there are better alternatives for what a patient wants.
2. Im willing to concede that it might be safe, though still not preferable, to allow them to do Botox around the oral and maxillo-facial regions (because dentists are supposed to be specialists in these two areas alone). But no, I would never let one do any procedure around my eye - this is something that is often screwed up by a lot of people who offer Botox but aren’t aesthetic physicians, and if you really screw up your eyelid, it can be for life.

I think it’s great dentists can use Botox for actual dental issues. Cosmetic issues? Not so much.

So as for OP, I do think it sounds very dismissive that he just “made a note” so he doesn’t fuck up the next person, but as for whether you can get a refund or not, or if you have any standing for more; as everyone has said, unfortunately, you’ll have to look through the forms you signed. But how far do you want to take this? Because I suppose it’s possible that his insurance may not cover him doing cosmetic procedures outside the oral and maxillo-facial region, but then you’d need to bring in solicitors and all kinds, for something that I sincerely hope will be much better in a few weeks and gone in six months. Good luck, regardless. I’m sure this was a terrible outcome for what you hoped would be just a minor procedure.

I’m baffled by the comments about op going to a dentist for this treatment.

1. my dentist offers
2. I know a number of specialist practitioners and they all trained as dentists
3. do people not know that dentists are doctors just within a specialised area?

Sorry you had a bad experience OP. I always get mine done by my dentist and she does a great job. They have a better knowledge of facial structures/muscles/nerves than most, so they’re actually the best people to carry out a lot of aesthetic facial treatments. They don’t just study teeth when they’re training. They study the whole face and neck. Has your dentist been doing Botox for a while or is he new to it? I’d definitely go back again if you’re not happy. There’s not a lot he can do to correct it but I’d definitely ask for a refund if he’s made a real mess of it

Just because they can doesn’t mean they should. It’s the exact same way with medically trained doctors.

Of course there are some who are highly trained and skilled at aesthetics, but as for the majority who just do it as a money making sideline I would not want them anywhere near my face.

Dentists aren’t doctors. They have to go to medical school if they want to practice as omfs doctors (and do the full course and training years, which takes a very long time!).

Fair enough. Acknowledge I was mistaken re qualifications

Nobody other than a dermatologist or plastic surgeon is ever injecting my face with anything. I have to say they were all conservative and would rather add a bit extra later than over inject initially. They weren't cheap but they were excellent at what they did. I don't think you are particularly sensitive but rather his placement of the injections was wrong or too low relaxing the frontalis muscle or he used too much. Be thankful it will wear off and never go back. I think it's advised to wait two weeks before using heating pads. I think it's to do with the risk of migrating the botox to even less desirable locations. I wouldn't let him have at my teeth either.

And doctors have to go to dental school if they want to become an omfs doctor. It's the only specialty where you need two undergrad degrees (medicine and dentistry) so is a rare case due to the in depth knowledge needed of all things head and neck. Doctors alone cannot become omfs doctors until they have a dental degree so to imply that dentists need further medical training to become omfs doctors because they don't have enough medical knowledge isn't really a fair representation. In the same way dentists need further medical training, doctors need further dental training as only a dental degree gives you in depth knowledge of the head and neck.

Can't believe people don't realise dentists study the face (and yes, eyebrows!). It really isn't just all about teeth, baffling that people wouldn't trust them with botox.

He does seem very dismissive and should be making some suggestions how to correct it and at least attempt to make it a bit more symmetrical.

I think you would certainly be entitled to a refund if he can’t offer some solution.

I stopped getting Botox on my forehead as it was always a bit hit and miss to be honest.

It will ease off though in a few weeks if that’s any consolation, I don’t think I would be putting my trust in him again though .

If you want to try it again maybe get some personal recommendations and ask for the bare minimum to see how it goes.

I don’t think that it’s baffling at all that I wouldn’t just trust any random doctor/dentist with my Botox! Why would I want someone just using it as a money making sideline near my face? It is a very different scenario when someone has devoted their entire career to it and obviously has further training and experience.

Do I just have to suck it up and wait for the botox to wear off? I mean i know i just have to wait for the botox to wear off, but shouldn't he be offering me a refund or something?

If he couldn't improve it at the two week top up stage then you probably need to wait for it to wear off.

While he should try to fix things you're not likely to get a refund as side effects are common. My friend had her entire side of her face droop, do people thought she'd had a stroke. Another had her eyelid droop and had to go to her GP for some sort of glaucoma prescription (intended use i think) to raise her eyelid temporarily.

The strangest side effect I've seen is a friend with one Iris higher than the other. Looks alarming but not dangerous. Nothing to be done but wait. She stopped having Botox after that.