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Interview with Dr Agata Smolen: Botox training for dentists

Are you a dentist thinking about moving into facial aesthetics? Our courses have been helping dentists launch aesthetic careers since 2002. One of those dentists, Dr Agata Smolen, now works with our sister company Aurora Skin Clinics in Northampton.

Here Dr Agata Smolen talks about the benefits of Botox training for dentists.

Tell us about your background

I graduated in dentistry in Poland in 2009, and worked as a dental associate for 4 years before moving to England. I went to Bristol first, then settled in Oxford. I now work full-time as a dentist, splitting my week between Oxford and Lechlade. Two Saturdays a month I offer aesthetic treatments at Aurora in Northampton.

Why did you decide to train in aesthetics?

Largely because of my work with cosmetic dentistry. Seeing the joy it brought when I improved areas people were concerned about made me think of other ways I could help.

How did you hear about Cosmetic Courses?

I found them online. I Googled ‘Botox training for dentists’ and they were one of the first pages. After exploring the website, I knew they were right for me. They had fantastic feedback from delegates, a great team, convenient location and a good variety of courses and dates.

Which courses did you take?

I started with foundation Botox and Fillers, then added the Lip Specialist day. I came back for advanced Botox and Fillers, which is when Adrian offered me a position with Aurora.

What was your training like?

I really enjoyed my courses, learned lots and met some amazing people. I had all the time I needed and could ask the trainers anything. The whole team were always willing to help. Patient and professional with both patients and students.

What do you enjoy most about aesthetics?

Aesthetic work has lots in common with dentistry. It feels great to boost someone’s confidence by improving something they’re unhappy with. Our face is our first impression, and changing one detail can make a huge difference. For me it’s a privilege to help make that happen.

Would you recommend Botox training for dentists?

Aesthetic medicine complements dentistry perfectly. When dentists look at someone, teeth aren’t all we see. It’s the face as a whole. The beauty of Botox training for dentists is that it helps us treat patients holistically, improving the entire face. You already have the necessary manual skills (working with injections every day), and a good aesthetic eye. Aesthetic medicine is the logical next step!

For more information on Botox training for dentists, please feel free to contact the team.

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Patient consent in the aesthetics industry – are you protecting yourself?

While the UK has traditionally lagged behind the US when it comes to medical litigation, this appears to be changing. Litigation rates in the NHS and Private Practice are now reported to be rising by 20% every year.

Needless to say, this affects all of us working in the aesthetics industry. If you’ve been practising for a while, you’ve probably noticed the gradual increase in your indemnity costs year on year.

So in this climate of increasing litigation, what can you do to protect yourself?

Improving the patient consent process

A substantial proportion of medical litigation cases hinge on the issue of patient consent. So examining and, if necessary, improving the way you manage this crucial part of your practice is essential to safeguard yourself against future problems. 

Broadly speaking, in medical litigation cases the proceedings will focus on two questions:  

  • Were the risks of the procedure fully explained to, and understood by, the patient?
  • Were the risks, and the patient’s understanding of the risks, recorded accurately in the patient’s notes?

So it’s important that your approach to both these parts of the process is as efficient as possible.

Approaching patient consent for non-surgical procedures 

Taking a sufficiently thorough approach to patient consent will benefit both you and your patients.

For your patients, a better understanding of the benefits and risks of a treatment will help them to make a more informed decision. And for you, detailed, accurate and – importantly – legible consent will reduce any risk of litigation.

Here are five steps you can take to protect yourself and your business:

1. Information packs

Send out an information pack when patients enquire about a particular treatment. This should outline the treatment process, recovery period any possible complications, and include contact details they can refer back to should they have any concerns after treatment.

2. Discuss and document

During a consultation, take time to discuss all the pros, cons and potential risks of the treatment, and crucially, make sure you document this in the patient’s notes.

3. Seek specific consent for photos

Under standard medical practice guidelines, practitioners must not show before and after photographs to other patients or publish them without specific written consent from the patient. If photographs are taken, obtain specific consent from your patient to use them – ideally on a dedicated form.

4. Detailed patient consent form

Make reference to your information pack in your general patient consent form. On the form, specifically ask the patient to confirm they have read and understood the information pack. And make sure you ask patients to sign a new consent form before each and every treatment. 

5. Detailed patient notes

A patient’s notes should reflect the detailed discussion that took place before their treatment, so be as thorough as is practical. Patient notes should also be used to document the completion of each stage of the consent process.

As aesthetic professionals, we need to ensure we spend sufficient time educating patients about the risks and benefits of treatment before going ahead – and documenting everything we’ve discussed.

Rushed and incomplete consultation notes leave us vulnerable to litigation (warranted or not), so it’s impossible to be too thorough when it comes to keeping patient records. New technology (apps, tablets) has allowed many of us to streamline the process, and this may be a good investment for your practice. But whichever tools and methods you choose, diligence and detail are key.

Cosmetic Courses provides all delegates with access to downloadable consent form templates and other useful documentation. For information on training with us, give the team a call on 01844 390110 or email [email protected].

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Microdermabrasion training – how it could boost your business

As someone who wants to build a successful business, you need to be sure your aesthetic training will be a good investment.

Most medical professionals we train start with basic Botox and dermal fillers. And if you’re thinking of making the move to aesthetics, this is absolutely the best place to start.

As the two most popular non-surgical treatments in the UK, Botox and dermal fillers are likely to form the core of your business. Learning how to perform Botox and filler treatments safely is essential if you want to hit the ground running in your aesthetic career.

Some of our delegates decide to stop there. Huge demand for injectable treatments means it’s perfectly possible to make a great income from offering Botox and fillers alone.

But if you want more from your practice, you’ll want to diversify.

Why train in Microdermabrasion?

Microdermabrasion treatment makes a great addition to any aesthetic practice. As a deep exfoliant, it complements injectable treatments (rather than doing the same job), which allows you to provide a more comprehensive service to your existing patients.

You can also use microdermabrasion to attract business from a whole new client base seeking minimally invasive rejuvenation treatments.

Microdermabrasion is also an extremely cost-effective treatment to perform. Once you’ve trained (£350 + VAT) and invested in your microdermabrasion machine (prices vary, but are usually very affordable), the consumables used for each treatment are very inexpensive.

The treatment is usually charged out at around £60 per session, and many patients will want to book a course of three or six treatments with you in order to get the best results.

As an added bonus, at Cosmetic Courses our Medical Microdermabrasion training is offered in combination with Chemical Peel training, so you learn two new techniques in one session!

How often do our Microdermabrasion courses take place?

Our courses usually take place once a month. Our next available date is January 22nd.

Where do we offer Microdermabrasion training?

We currently offer Microdermabrasion training at our fully equipped aesthetic clinic at the Paddocks, Bucks but we may be able to offer training at other centres in future. Keep an eye on our Facebook page or Twitter for updates.

For any more information on our Microdermabrasion training courses, please contact the team on  01844 390110 or email [email protected].

 

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Advanced Botox and Filler courses – what’s covered?

Are you a medical professional considering offering advanced Botox and filler treatments to your patients? Offering a more comprehensive service and being able to perform more specialist techniques via advanced aesthetic training will help you take your career – and your earnings – to that next level.

What techniques are covered in the advanced Botox and filler courses?

Stage 1, or foundation, Botox and filler training offers a comprehensive grounding in the techniques for performing upper face Botox treatments and peri-oral dermal fillers.

These are the most popular applications, so once you’ve completed your training you’ll be equipped to offer basic anti-wrinkle treatment to your patients straight away.

But deciding to take your training a stage further with an advanced course allows you to broaden your repertoire and perfect more specialist techniques.

Different training providers will have different approaches to their advanced training, and specific course programmes will vary. But to give you an idea of what you can expect, here’s a brief outline of what we cover on our advanced Botox and filler courses:

Advanced Botox techniques

  • Chemical brow lift
  • Mentalis treatments
  • Treatment of platysmal bands
  • Cheek and jowl lifting
  • Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) treatment

Advanced dermal filler techniques

  • Vermilion border enhancement
  • Cheek augmentation
  • Cross hatching techniques
  • Extended linear threading techniques
  • Advanced peri-oral sculpting
  • Combined filling – using different strengths of product to achieve optimum results

The emphasis of our advanced training is very much on practical hands-on experience, letting you focus on any areas requiring extra guidance and tuition.

The goal of advanced training is to equip you with the necessary skills to take a more holistic approach to treating your patients. Rather than simply targeting lines and wrinkles, you’ll be encouraged to pursue complete facial rejuvenation using more nuanced techniques. For example, adding volume to the mid-face area, sculpting the jaw and cheeks, or giving a subtle lift to the eyebrows.

Cosmetic Courses is one of the UK’s most established aesthetic training providers. Since 2001, our expert trainers have offered a wide range of aesthetic training, including Botox and filler courses, microdermabrasion and chemical peel, Dermaroller, PRP Therapy and more. For information on our training courses, please contact our team.

 

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