You betcha. Thanks to Pat Kiernan, the charming (Canadian) NY1 anchor whose twitter feed I now stalk, I learned of this new trend as I was sipping my second cup of tea this morning.

Dentists are getting in on the Botox market. Why? Because they are experts of the “musculature and anatomy of the face” and, says one dentist, “no other doctor can give an injection better than a qualified and experienced dentist.”

Now, that very well may be true, and there’s no reason to suppose dentists are any less good than dermatologists at sticking needles in people’s faces. But how widespread is it? Not very—yet.

Dentists have been using Botox to treat dental problems … and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved its use for treatment of chronic migraines. Some dentists want to take it a step further and use it for aesthetic purposes, too. In Minnesota, dentists are permitted to do the work, as long as they adhere to the same standard of care that specialists are required to meet… However, some states, including California and Nevada, say the use of Botox to improve patients’ smiles or to reduce wrinkles is outside the scope of general dentistry.

Is teeth bleaching outside the scope, though? And those caps people put on top of their teeth to make them look perfect and symmetrical? I’m not sure the issue here is dentists doing Botox—many different kinds of medical professionals use their training to perform cosmetic procedures. But it seems to speak to something a little larger that concerns me. Specifically, the increasingly breezy attitude we (/people?) have about injecting stuff into their faces—especially if that stuff comes with a black box warning from the FDA.

What do you think?