Facial aesthetics

Facial aesthetics at Pearl Dental covers two things: the treatment of lines and wrinkles, and dermal fillers that restore volume and shape. Both are carried out at the practice by Dr Narinder Khroud, who has gained further qualifications in cosmetic dentistry and facial aesthetics over many years, and both begin with a consultation rather than a purchase.

Treatment is planned in a clinical setting, with your medical history taken, the areas that concern you discussed, and the cost confirmed before anything goes ahead. Where the right advice is that little or nothing is needed, that is the advice you get.

Lines and wrinkles

Frown lines, forehead lines and the lines around the eyes are the areas patients ask about most. The first step is a consultation with a prescribing clinician, who assesses your skin, the movement of the muscles beneath it and what is realistically achievable. Any treatment plan comes out of that conversation.

The consultation also covers several related concerns: jaw clenching and grinding that wears the teeth and can bring tension headaches, a jawline or neck that has lost definition with age, mouth corners that turn down and give a permanently unhappy look, and a gummy smile, where more gum than you would like shows above the top teeth. Each is assessed on its own merits, and the options, their limits and their costs are explained before you decide.

Dermal fillers

Dermal fillers are used to smooth the lines around the nose and mouth, to enhance the size and shape of the lips, to soften laughter lines and to restore volume to the cheeks. The fillers used at Pearl Dental are hyaluronic acid gels. Hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in the body; these fillers are not permanent and are gradually reabsorbed over time.

The procedure takes around 30 minutes and is carried out with a fine needle and a steady, experienced hand to keep it as comfortable as possible. An anaesthetic gel is applied 30 minutes beforehand, and the fillers themselves contain a fast-acting local anaesthetic, so most patients describe slight initial discomfort rather than pain. Most people return to normal activities the same day, and written aftercare is given before you leave.

Areas dermal fillers can treat

Cheeks. Over time the cheeks can flatten and the natural high point of the face can appear to sit lower, as supportive tissue under the skin is gradually lost. Carefully placed filler adds volume where it has been lost and can restore lift and shape to the cheekbones, with results visible straight away.

Chin and jawline. Filler placed in the chin can lengthen it or bring it forward, so it sits in better proportion with the nose and lips, and can soften folds and lines on the chin itself. Along the jawline, filler can define the chin and jowl area and give a firmer, more defined line, which many patients find changes the whole balance of the face.

Tear troughs. The hollow between the lower eyelid and the upper cheek deepens with age and can make you look tired even after a full night’s sleep. A fine-grade hyaluronic filler placed in the deeper part of the trough fills the hollow, so the area sits flat and light reflects evenly across it, softening dark shadows.

Lips. Lip fillers add volume and definition, soften the fine lines around the mouth, including lipstick lines and smoker’s lines, and give a fuller, more rejuvenated look.

Temples. The face’s natural V-shape runs from the cheekbones up to the temples. Restoring volume to the temples continues the lift begun at the cheeks and gives a subtle lift to the upper face.

Nose. Non-surgical rhinoplasty, often called nose filler, uses hyaluronic acid filler to alter and shape the nose without surgery. It suits small adjustments to the bridge or tip and is popular with women and men alike.

What a dermal filler treatment includes

• An initial assessment to check suitability and discuss the areas to be treated
• Anaesthetic gel applied 30 minutes before treatment
• The chosen filler placed in the agreed areas
• Written aftercare before you leave
• A review one to two weeks later, with a top-up of the treated area if it is needed

What it costs

A consultation is £80.00. Dermal fillers are from £200.00, with the exact figure for your treatment confirmed in writing at the consultation. A first conversation with our treatment co-ordinator is free, and payment plans for facial aesthetics are available; ask at the consultation.