Australasian Dentist Magazine May June 2021

110 Australasian Dentist profiles A bout six years ago, Dr Rita Trak went to a cosmetic dentist seeking a solution for the lines on her forehead and was treated with anti-wrinkle injections. That was shortly before she attended a course on cosmetic injectables, from which she learned that the creases on her forehead were not wrinkles but the result of dehydration – a diagnosis that negates the injectables approach. “That episode pretty much sums up what I think of dentists providing injectable treatment without having an in- depth knowledge of skin health,” she says. The same negative experience drove the cosmetic dentist to delve deeper into skin health, pursuing courses on the subject with fervour. This also led to her founding of Dental & Skin Clinic in January. In a way, the clinic bears testimony to Dr Trak’s successful journey, traversing professional domains from the smile to the skin. The East Bentleigh practice, however, is more than just a vehicle to display the Practice Principal’s unique fusion of talents. Universal challenge Its online manifesto reveals multifaceted goals: “Working inwards towards the smile, we capture, protect and amplify the face’s natural charisma and beauty through our cosmetic dentistry, dental veneers and facial treatments.” This corroborates the dentist’s response, when asked the three most unique elements of her practice: Natural aesthetics; integrating cosmetic dentistry with professional skin care; and making dentistry enjoyable and professional skin care services accessible. Making dentistry enjoyable, she adds, is the most challenging of the goals. “The universal problem is that no one likes going to the dentist. How can we make people actually enjoy coming to see us?” she asks earnestly. Dr Trak, whose dream profession since the age of 12 is to become a cosmetic dentist, believes the answer to that question is foundational to what she does for a living. Skin in the game The Dental & Skin Clinic aims to make dentistry enjoyable and professional skin health treatments accessible. By Danny Chan “I was always drawn to the fact that a good smile has such a great impact on someone’s mental health and I like the idea of being responsible for someone’s happiness.” Where dentistry meets skin health Whereas in the past the bosses would veto her “crazy” suggestions, Dr Trak is now free to walk the talk in Dental & Skin Clinic. The very concept of combining dentistry with professional skin health services is revolutionary. The operative word is “professional”, which encompasses skin services you wouldn’t normally associate with a dental clinic: Skin needling, medical-grade chemical peels, mono threads, etc. “The reason why I chose these specific skin treatments is because they chemically change the skin, so we’re not using the typical brands offered by other dentists,” she says. “It was really important to me that the skin services that we do offer are on a medical level.” Dr Trak is proud that Dental & Skin Clinic is one of the only dental clinics in the world to gain Clinical Partner status with Skinceuticals, an American brand traditionally aligned with plastic surgeons and dermatologists.