(Official Photo by Christian Martinez, Office of Governor Glenn Youngkin. L to R: Brett Siegel, VCU School of Dentistry Class of 2023; Darrell Boyce, VCU School of Dentistry Class of 2023; VDA President Dr. Cindy Southern; Governor Glenn Youngkin; Dr. Marcel Lambrechts; Senator Todd Pillion, DDS; VDA CEO Ryan Dunn; Dr. Harold Martinez)

VDA leaders and VCU dental students joined Governor Youngkin for the ceremonial signing of legislation to allow Virginia dentists to administer Botox for cosmetic purposes. Senator Todd Pillion’s Senate Bill 1539 requires the Board of Dentistry, in consultation with the Board of Medicine, to amend its regulations to establish training and continuing education requirements for dentists related to the administration of botulinum toxin injections for cosmetic purposes and requires the Board of Dentistry to amend its regulations to remove botulinum toxin injections from the list of procedures requiring additional certification. 

VDA members and dental students lobbied their legislators in-person, testified in House and Senate committees, and hundreds of dentists from around the state contacted their legislators through the VDA’s call-to-action platform in support of the bill. 

The law goes into effect July 1, 2023, requiring the Board of Dentistry to amend its regulations to establish training and continuing education requirements for dentists related to the administration of botulinum toxin injections for cosmetic purposes. The VDA will continue to be engaged and involved as the regulations are drafted and implemented by the Board of Dentistry.