The Future of Beauty Starts at Your Dentist
We’re hearing more about “tweakments” than ever before – what does that term mean in a dental and facial aesthetics context?
With any kind of cosmetic treatment, if we don’t look at things as a whole, it’s not going to look right. If someone improves their smile but isn’t happy with their lips, they’re not going to feel happy overall. It became clear to me that I needed to look at the facial aesthetics side of things, so I could help people achieve the smile they really want.
Why do you think more people are choosing to have aesthetic treatments carried out by dentists?
It’s largely down to awareness. There have been a number of documentaries in recent years highlighting the dangers of having treatments carried out by unqualified practitioners. People feel reassured coming to a registered clinic, knowing they are in a safe environment with professionals who are properly trained and qualified.
How does your medical and dental training influence the way you approach facial aesthetics?
From a safety perspective, it makes a huge difference. Having a detailed knowledge of anatomy means you can significantly reduce risks by ensuring the product is placed correctly.
What types of tweakments are currently available at Gate Dental?
I offer a full range of head and neck toxin, or wrinkle- relaxing treatments, including forehead lines, neck lines, crow’s feet, bunny lines, gummy smile, smoker’s lines, jowls, and jaw slimming or treatment for grinding. We also offer dermal fillers, such as ip filler, treatment for the nasolabial folds, marionette lines and smoker’s lines. In addition, I provide skin booster treatments.
Which treatments are most popular with your patients right now, and why?
Toxin treatments and Profhilo are themost popular. Profhilo is an injectable hyaluronic acid treatment designed to deeply hydrate the skin and stimulate collagen and elastin production, improving overall skin quality rather than
adding volume. It gives really nice, subtle results and is relatively low-risk compared to other treatments, with minimal downtime, so it’s a great entry point into aesthetics.
It helps to plump the skin while also stimulating your own collagen. It softens fine lines, improves skin texture and hydration, and helps the skin look less dull and less tired. People often come in asking for it after hearing about it on Joanne McNally and Vogue Williams’ podcast My Therapist Ghosted Me.
Who are these aesthetic treatments best suited to, is there a typical patient profile, or are they bespoke for everyone?
Anyone over the age of 18 is eligible foraesthetic treatments, but generally it’s
people in their mid to late twenties who start. That said, I see a wide range of ages, from patients in their twenties all the way through to people in their seventies.
What would you say to someone who’s interested but worried about doing too much?
I always suggest starting with very conservative treatment. I might say, “Why don’t we start here and see?” Usually, it’s just about a little bit of line softening or improving skin texture. When people are doing something that makes them feel better in themselves, that’s the most important thing.
What should patients look for when choosing a practitioner for these kinds of treatments?
Training is key, a strong understanding of anatomy, a focus on safety, and the ability to provide follow-up care. One of the most important aspects of being a medical professional is that dentists and doctors can prescribe the necessary materials.
For example, there is a dissolving agent for filler that must be prescribed. While others may be able to administer filler, they cannot dissolve it. In the case of an emergency, that could mean going to hospital, which may delay treatment and increase the risk of more serious side effects.
Looking ahead, what do you think is a very exciting area in tweakments?
I’m personally very interested in polynucleotides, widely known as the “salmon sperm facial”, which are injectable treatments derived from DNA fragments that help repair skin, boost collagen and improve texture and elasticity. They are similar to skin boosters and relatively low risk, bruising is the main side effect, and they work by stimulating collagen. What’s particularly interesting is that it can also be extremely effective for shadows under the eyes. You can use it in various areas, but for me, the under- eye results are the most exciting. It’s very cool.
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