Nevada becomes first state to allow dental hygienists to use facial injectables

Big news was released earlier in the week as the Nevada State Board of Dental Examiners confirmed at their November meeting that dentists and dental hygienists in the state of Nevada who possess the necessary skills and training can now administer botulinum toxin (Botox/Xeomin) and dermal fillers. Nevada dental hygienists may only administer facial injectables to patients under the direct supervision of a Nevada licensed dentist who has the same skills and training to administer facial injectables.

We asked Modern Hygienist editorial director Kara Vavrosky, RDH, for her thoughts.

“There has been a lot of talk among the hygiene community around having our areas of practice being encroached upon,” Vavrosky said. “While this has been a concern for many, there is also some good news coming out of the state of Nevada allowing for expanded duties of dental hygienists. In a new advisory policy statement, the Nevada State Board of Dental Examiners has confirmed that Nevada dentists and dental hygienists who possess the necessary skills and training are now permitted to administer Botox and dermal fillers. Like standard hygienist duties, hygienists must administer facial injectables under direct supervision of a licensed dentist who has the same skills and training to administer facial injectables.

“While the vast majority of states currently allow dentists to perform Botox and other dermal procedures, Nevada is the first state to allow dental hygienists to perform these procedures. It is still unclear on what exactly the required training will be need for hygienists to administer Botox, but the American Academy of Facial Esthetics (AAFE) is currently working with the Nevada dental board to create a proficient training curriculum. We will keep you posted at Modern Hygienist as this all comes to light.”

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Dr. Louis Malmacher, AAFE’s president, believes this is a good thing for Nevada’s dental professionals and patients.

“The bottom line is that Botox and dermal fillers are allowed within the scope of dental practice for use by Nevada general dentists and dental hygienists in the oral and maxillofacial areas for esthetic and therapeutic uses with appropriate training,”Malcmacher said. “Now Botox and dermal fillers in Nevada is just like any other area of dentistry and will be treated as such. Comprehensive training is essential for dentists and dental hygienists to be proficient in Botox and dermal filler procedures for esthetic and therapeutic facial pain uses, which is what we teach in our courses and relates to 99% of these procedures done in the oral and maxillofacial areas. The AAFE is working with the dental board to create the proficient training curriculum necessary for dental professionals to use facial injectables.”

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Editor's Note: Photo by Jean-Christophe BENOIST (Own work) [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons