Australian dentists engaged in Botox 'turf war'

Dentists in Australia are providing their patients Botox injections and lip enhancements for cosmetic purposes despite regulations limiting the procedures only to dental problems.

Myles Holt, BDS, who heads the Australian Academy of Dento-Facial Aesthetics, told the Sydney Morning Herald that he has trained more than 150 Australian and New Zealand dentists to inject Botox and dermal fillers into a patient's lips, cheeks, forehead, and gums.

Under rules set by the Dental Board of Australia, dentists should use Botox only to treat a condition that causes facial pain and bruxism. By law, Botox is only allowed to be administered by doctors and nurses who are under the supervision of a doctor, if they can prove a "therapeutic need," the Herald reported.