Sir, there is an increasing number of dentists who have started to provide specialist skin care. May I emphasise, I do not mean facial aesthetics courses (botulinum toxin and fillers). This is after they have gone to a two-day course (with no hands-on training) by a dermatologist, which then enables them to prescribe the medical-grade skin products that are recommended by the course provider. Dentists are then selling the products and giving specialist skin care advice to patients and the public through social media platforms. This is often misguiding for the general public as they appear to be specialist consultants, but as dentists we are not professionally trained dermatologists.

To be a dermatologist requires extensive training: five years at medical school, two years as a foundation doctor, two years of core medical training and then a three-year dermatologist training pathway. Skin care is outside the remit of a dentist and this should not be a service that we provide nor to mislead patients into thinking that they are receiving specialist skin advice and treatment. Personally, we would not be comfortable seeking advice and treatment from someone who has been to a two-day course. Would you?

When beauticians were providing tooth whitening, we found this unacceptable and putting patients at risk; what is the difference here with dentists providing skin care? Being a dentist of course involves the facial region, however, this does not mean we can then take on anything that is part of the head and neck. What next? Ear, nose and throat treatment?