Australasian Dentist Magazine May June 2021

Category Australasian Dentist 91 lips are just like normal skin, that they can be maintained in the same way, or they don’t require regular care at all unless they become cracked, yet nothing could be farther from the truth – lips need special attention and regular professional maintenance to preserve their health and function and to avoid serious pathology. The Best Lip Care In the same way as when trying to determine the most appropriate ways to maintain the health and appearance of their teeth and gums, patients looking for information on how to best care for their lips are bombarded with a plethora of overwhelming and conflicting information. Much of the time a patient’s source of this important information is from manufacturers pushing marketing slogans; dubious social media influencers and celebrities with a vested interest; or they are confronted by poorly trained sales staff standing in front of walls of products on department store and supermarket shelves, all claiming to be the best and the brightest solution. As learned and trusted experts in the oral tissues, one of the primary duties of dental practitioners is oral health promotion and guiding our patients on the best, proven oral hygiene practices. In a modern dental practice, that advice and product recommendation should also extend to how best to care for the health of their lips, to maintain their appearance and condition, while preventing pathology, because just like inside the mouth, an incorrect product choice can have dire consequences. In addition to recommending products that contain ingredients which have been clinically proven to supplement the deficiencies inherent in lip tissue composition, such as various antioxidants, humectants and emollients, the consistency of the products are crucial, as is its ability to protect against damage from the sun. Specialist Dermatologists and skin cancer specialists from Harvard University have raised warnings in regard to lip care products, especially the rise in popularity of luxury branded, non- SPF based high-sheen, gloss products, which they say enhance the optical passage of ultraviolet rays, increasing their penetration into the already fragile skin of the lips and increasing the risk of lip cancer. 7 Even the tissue damage done which is short of true cancer, from using the wrong lip products, without professional formulation based on clinical research, can lead to painful and unsightly photo-ageing, including the premature formation of wrinkles, painful fissures and solar keratosis – nonmalignant yet unpleasant crusty nodules. Armed with this knowledge, it is unconscionable that at the completion of a dental visit (the micro-trauma from which could make the lips immediately more vulnerable), that responsible dental practitioners would simply allow their patients to leave the clinic, exposed to the sun, and left to their own devices to choose lip care products that may actually be doing more harm than good. condition of the tissue, with reduced cracking, dryness and fine lines, as well as improving lip texture, color and definition. How does Lip-Tx TM work? The most complete method for ensuring healthy lip tissue throughout life, works in much the same manner as promoting healthy teeth and gums – regular check- ups and maintenance treatments by a dental professional, together with the daily use of clinically proven products for home use. Lip-Tx pro TM is the world’s first, single patient-use, professional lip care system to protect and enhance lip health and aesthetics, designed in Australia by a group of global oral health experts, based on the latest clinical research in to lip barrier function optimization. Utilized at the conclusion of any professional treatment of, or around, the lips, teeth & mouth (e.g., after dental treatment, dental cleaning, teeth whitening, lip filler or any other therapy which may compromise lip integrity), the powerful, synergistic, 3-step system consists of exfoliation, hydration and protection phases and takes less than 5 minutes to administer. Step 1: Exfoliation (Fig.4) With glovedfingers, amechanical probiotic exfoliation serum is gently rubbed over the lips in a gentle circular motion for 30 seconds. This process not only removes dead, dry, poorly desquamating surface cells which are cracked and flaky, but this mechanical stimulation also promotes blood flow and stimulates the production of vital collagen, elastin and extracellular matrix components via a feedback loop to the dermis, to help the lips maintain their volume and structure. 9 Exfoliation also aids the penetration of the subsequent steps in the Lip-Tx protocol. clinical Fig. 2. Unhealthy lips with poor barrier function, compared to healthy lips, well maintained with Lip-Tx TM However, clinical studies have shown that the regular application of a professionally formulated, sequential multi-step lip-care treatment results in significant improvements in the health of the lips 8 . The use of the Lip-Tx Pro TM system (Fig.3), for just a few minutes at the end of each scheduled dental recall, hygiene visit or any treatment appointment, together with the daily use of the Lip-Tx Home TM product, has been shown to enhance the lip barrier function, reducing TEWL, protecting the tissue from environmental damage, including SPF protection, thereby improving the general Fig. 3. The Lip-Tx TM Pro, 3-step, in-chair system Fig. 4: Exfoliation (lip scrub) to gently cleanse the lips, while enzymes promote skin renewal. Step 2: Hydration (Fig.5) An advanced plant-based second skin is adapted to the lips and left in place for several minutes. Rich in antioxidants and sources of amino acids, the mask soothes the lips, relieving inflammation, and has been shown to notably improve the skin’s moisture content. 10