DTUK1010

PracticeWorks KODAK R4 Practice Management Software PEARL is the new iPhone or Blackberry application for R4. No longer are you restricted to viewing your appointments, patient records and images on a computer screen. Now you can view them wherever you want, whenever it’s most convenient for you. Access your practice data on your iPhone or Blackberry with PEARL Another breakthrough from PracticeWorks For more information or to place an order please call 0800 169 9692 or visit www2.practiceworks.co.uk/links/pearl.asp PracticeWorks © PracticeWorks Limited 2010www.practiceworks.co.uk 11Practice ManagementApril 19-25, 2010United Kingdom Edition R eferrals are the lifeline of many specialist dental practices, with profes- sionals relying on the confidence of their peers to provide a steady flow of patients. This is a method that has worked well in the industry for many years, but doesn’t seem to have taken off within the facial aesthetics field with quite the same gusto. However, I think this is changing, and would suggest that facial aesthetic referral prac- tices are the next progression for optimum aesthetic delivery. A facial aesthetic referral practice works in the same way as any other referral practice. If someone is not confident in carry- ing out a treatment, they contact a peer who may be more proficient in the treatment concerned. Af- ter all, not many GDPs would be prepared to carry out full-mouth implant restorations. Similarly, someone who is proficient in dealing with simple marionette lines is hardly likely to want to attempt a full facial rebuild with dermal fillers. Pain relief I receive a lot of referrals, not only from dentists but also from GPs and plastic surgeons, whose pa- tients have come to them seeking help for genuine medical prob- lems, as apposed to aesthetics. Many people are unaware that the mainstay of the utilisation of Botox is still medical therapeutics and not aesthetic at all. The thera- peutic use of Botox and dermal fillers is growing at a great pace. Everyone knows about the an- ti-wrinkle effects of Botox, but it is not widely known that it can also act as a powerful muscle relaxant, often easing pain and suffering in areas such as the neck, shoulders and jaw. It has also recently hit the headlines with news of peo- ple having treatment for com- mon medical complaints, such as bruxism, persistent headaches and other muscle spasms. When someone has received appropriate training in deliver- ing facial aesthetic treatments, its implementation within a surgery is very simple. Courses should provide help and support to newly qualified practitioners, and offer advice as to how best to market the practitioner’s new found skills to patients. However, setting up a refer- ral practice is slightly different, especially if a practitioner is already well known for a different modality. That said, I still believe that setting up a facial aesthetic refer- ral practice is easier than setting up, for example, an endodontic referral practice. If a patient needs endodontic treatment, they need it, regardless of whether they want it. A ‘need’ is never as desirable as a ‘want’. People seek facial aesthetic treatments because they ‘want’ to look younger and better. It has also been shown in numerous surveys that people will spend on ‘wants’ regardless of poor economic cli- mates. Hence the demand is clear- ly out there for patients wanting such treatment, therefore driving the process forward. A practitioner is in the unique position of being able offer patients effective and successful treatment. The market is already there, and it is booming. Not having to create a market, instead having to tap into an already existing one, makes setting up a successful referral practice simple and effective. DT Referrals in the facial aesthetics field are growing says Dr Bob Khanna Looking good About the author Dr Bob Khanna is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading exemplars of dentistry and facial aesthetics. He is the appointed clinical tutor in facial aes- thetics at the Royal College of Surgeons and has trained thousands of dentists and doctors through the Dr Bob Khanna Training Institute. For information, call 0118 9606 930 or visit www.drbk.co.uk.