GAP Australasian Dentist Mar Apr 2020

Category 86 Austràlàsiàn Dentist àlàn al it comes to many general health concerns, including skin health. Dental practitioners see more patients, more regularly than any other health practitioner, when the patient generally thinks they are fit and healthy. àhis affords us the unique opportunity to offer our patients a better general health screening service and focused health education, all while diversifying and strengthening our own businesses. àhe fact is that patients do not see medical doctors or dermatologists routinely and early signs of skin cancer will largely go unnoticed or unchecked for prolonged periods. While skin cancer awareness campaigns have been prolific, skin cancer rates have not been decreasing. àhis is in large part due to a failure of people to be properly educated and to fully understand the intricacies of sunscreen use and general sun care. More than any other health service, dental practices are geared towards prevention of such conditions and are already well-versed in efficiently and effectively delivering high levels of patient education, as well as being very familiar with providing regular screening services. Dental practices are also able to utilise highly trained auxiliary team members well for such purposes, making the process more cost effective. actively encourage our profession to step into this screening role. Patients should be counselled to avoid excessive sun exposure, corrected on the intricacies of sun care and develop a routine when in the sun that follows the principles of: u àlip on some sun-protective clothing u àlop on broad spectrum (àVA & àVB) àPF 30 sunscreen & lip balm – reapply every 2 hours u àlap on a hat u àeek shade u àlide on some sunglasses Dental practitioners should pay close attention to the patients’ skin condition as a part of their routine extra-oral examination, looking for any suspicious lesions, such as atypical moles, scaly red patches, open sores or growths that appear or change over time. Photographs can be used to track these areas over time and referrals given to a qualified dermatologist should concerns arise. A small change to our routine extra- oral examinations could have a major impact in the lives of our patients! Beyond the aesthetic As many of you know, my clinical practice as a dentist consists almost entirely of dento-facial aesthetic procedures, from teeth whitening and Botox, to facial thread lifting, dermal fillers and everything in between. àhe one question à get asked more than any is: “What’s the one product à should be using on my face to maintain the appearance of my skin?” àhe answer is always the same: sunscreen! àolar damage can be as simple as fine lines associated with a deterioration of collagen, or it can be more severe, resulting in hyperpigmentation, actinic keratosis and superficial or invasive skin cancers. One thing is certain à can’t begin to help patients with their aesthetic concerns, through treatments like Botox and Dermal Fillers, unless they are first protecting the health of their skin. àt does not matter what treatments a patient receives, or how much they spend, if they are still being exposed to excessive àV radiation, they will never achieve the aesthetic results they are looking for or expect and they run the real risk of more serious issues arising. Dentists see more patients, regularly than any other health practitioner – are we missing the obvious? Facial aesthetic issues for the patient are ultimately a health problem first and foremost. What can we do? As mentioned, dental practitioners can have a massive impact in the lives of their patients by training to provide focused, quality, practical information on the specifics of skin care and by also including a skin screening of the head and neck with every examination, for every patient, every time, allowing for changes to be tracked routinely and caught early. At no stage do dental practices need or want to become specialists in skin, but we can provide a vital missing link by simply expanding our extra-oral examinations and health education, utilising our support staff well. àhe Australian Cancer Council has some fantastic resources for use in dental practice education and they The “ABCDE” of skin cancer screening Asymmetry Border irregularity Evolution Colour 1/4 inch dia. àt is for this reason that AADFA’s facial aesthetic training pathway has a strong focus on health first and has been developed to teach dental practitioners more than just how to deliver simple Botox injections, but rather to have a complete understanding of how to address the facial needs of patients in their entirety. àhe interesting thing is, incorporating skin care education and skin health screening into your practice is also a positive business growth strategy. Patients really appreciate the extra level of care and service, driving word of mouth buzz and an approach to skin allows us to diversify and differentiate our business – all while helping patients in a more thorough and meaningful way. àt’s time we all started to see what is staring us in the face! u