CATEGORY AUSTRALASIAN DENTIST69 CLINICAL cosmetic treatments. You want to help your patients achieve their desired outcomes, and aesthetic treatment can help give patients meaningful life improvements. However, some patients are not ideal candidates for cosmetic procedures. One example is those with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). BDD is a psychiatric syndrome characterized by a pre-occupation with a non-existent cosmetic defect that may include repeated attempts to correct it surgically. Performing procedures on patients with BDD or other psychiatric disorders that dwell on imperfections ultimately leads to dissatis ed patients. e. You should also avoid performing unnecessary procedures on patients with comorbidities, individuals with unrealistic expectations and those going through life crises. As an aesthetic provider, it’s important to consider these potential obstacles when consulting with a patient about undergoing a cosmetic procedure. f. Practice within your areas of expertise. We know that with cosmetic injecting, there are areas that are considered of higher risk than other. Evidence dictates that there are two main areas on the face that have a higher incidence of vascular occlusion following soft tissue augmentation with ller: the glabellar region and the nasolabial fold, nasal tip, and alar triangle. You should not treat these areas unless you have the knowledge, training, insurance and support to undertake these procedures. You should also be able to recognise a complication when they occur and know how to deal with them. If you cannot treat the complication yourself, part of your clinical protocols should be having an action plan in place to have your patient treated accordingly. Ethics pillar 3: Beneficence Not quite the opposite of non male cence, this is more than that. is ethical pillar is about actively doing good. is is about going above and beyond. a. Your patients’ best interests should always pre-empt all other considerations, including nancial and emotional factors. If a patient wants and can a ord a procedure but has a condition making it unsafe, their health and safety are the priority. Considering a patient’s motivation for wanting a procedure is also essential. Similarly you should not put your nancial incentives above the patients health. For instance, it would be unethical to push a patient toward a more expensive treatment, when a simple treatment would have a great outcome. is may have a huge impact on the treatment plan process. It is important to start with the foundations rst (skincare, skin treatments), then move to controlling the movement (use of muscle relaxants), before nalising with dermal ller enhancements. b. You should avoid doing a procedure if a patient’s goal is to meet someone else’s expectations or keep up with trends. For example, knowing what is the best treatment to do for a patient is really important. Many of my patients have asked for a Russian Lip enhancement, but often have another treatment instead. is is because they are asking for a trend, based on a social media awareness. However after assessment and a consultation, we plan a better suited treatment instead. It is your role to know the trends, know the procedures, but plan and assess for your patient properly. If you do procedures for the right reasons, you can help patients meet healthy, realistic goals. c. row out expired products. Do not chance it. You cannot a ord, not can you justify to have a complication based on treatment that was undertaken using expired dermal ller. is comes down to rotating your stock, checking products before using them and disposing of products that fall below our standard. d. Disclosure. Some years ago now, it became a mandatory requirement to supply patients with an implant card following the use of dermal ller. e implant card details the type of ller, the batch number, the expiry date and also your contact number after hours. On july 1, 2023 this also became a mandatory obligation whereby you must inform patients of where to go and who to contact if there is a complication after hours. You cannot leave the patient in a situation where they do not know where to go. Ethical Pillar 4: Justice A major part of strong ethics is accepting all patients, regardless of their sexuality, race, ethnicity, gender, class, and so on. It is therefor our responsibility to recognise that if we have a bias or inability to be fair and show justice, we should delegate the patient to an alternate practitioner of their choice that can proceed. Everyone deserves to be a healthy, pain-free person. But, some circumstances mean you’ll need to reach out for help in treating certain patients. For example, you might encounter someone dealing with a disability or disease you aren’t equipped to handle. In that case, you’ll need to look for assistance from other dentists in your network. And, while it’s fair to work on the patients of other dentists, it’s not fair to bad-mouth other practitioners. Instead the ethical approach would be to listen and treat the patient in the usual way, remembering that we do not know exactly what transpires in a clinical room outside of the patient’s account. Keep in mind that it’s considered your obligation to report the failed care of another practitioner – if it falls outside of the accepted standard of care. Key takeaways u Being a clinical practitioner means responsibilities beyond just looking at your primary area of interest. It is not just about injecting a patient or lling a tooth. It is about doing good, doing no harm and being unbiased. You should aim for high standards. u It’s about caring for your patient, your team and also your professional standards, whilst maintaining a strong code of ethics. u Communicate honestly and clearly, and present your patients with all treatment plans possible – even if they’re not your most pro table. Sometimes this might mean recommending that the patient be referred on, or that they undertake no treatment, if it is in their best interests. u Do no harm, but even further, take the time to give back to your profession. u Care for your patients to a high standard, and you’ll end up seeing positive results. u Remember, sometimes the right thing to do for yourself is doing the right thing for others. u If you want to know more about ethical injecting and responsible cosmetic nonsurgical treatments, please contact us at www.dermaldistinction.com
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTc3NDk3Mw==