Money: Lip fillers could cost you thousands in dental work (2025)

By Jess Sharp, Money live reporter

Lip filler could end up costing people thousands in dental work, a specialist orthodontist has warned.

Dr James Davies, who owns the Quayside Orthodontics chain in south Wales, told Money he had seen clients suffer from issues with their teeth after having the cosmetic procedure.

While lip fillers are temporary, your body eventually breaks down the hyaluronic acid, collagen and other materials used to plump your lips - Davies said he has "huge reservations" over the effect it's having on people's teeth.

"I have found that the force levels to overcome these fillers appears to be significantly increased and has a negative effect on the orthodontic progress leading to increased treatment times," he said.

Some clients have reported considerable tooth movements, which could leave them with splayed or crooked teeth, he added.

"The teeth are said to exist in a neutral zone of force between the lips, cheeks and tongue and in healthy individuals considered relatively stable.

"Altering the levels of these forces by introducing lip fillers has the serious potential to disrupt this balance and lead to crooked or splayed teeth. Introducing a filler can significantly alter the natural lip posture, leading to unwanted tooth movements which are rarely bargained for."

Dr Razvan Vasilas, an expert in non-invasive cosmetic procedures and founder of DRV Aesthetic Clinic, told Money that although he hadn't seen the issue first hand, it could be possible.

But he said that it would take years for teeth to move, and there would need to be "a lot of filler injected".

Aestheticians should inject a maximum of 1ml of lip filler at a time, he added, saying people should avoid getting any dental work for at least three weeks after the procedure.

When done correctly, lip fillers are generally safe, but leading cosmetic nurse Nina Prisk said there can be other dental health risks.

"One common concern is pressure or irritation on the nerves around the mouth, which can sometimes affect the teeth and gums," she said.

"Swelling or bruising is also a possibility and can temporarily impact the alignment of the lips and teeth. In rare cases, filler may migrate from the intended area and cause discomfort around the mouth.

"To minimise risks to dental health, it's crucial to choose a highly trained and qualified practitioner, like a nurse prescriber or doctor, who has expertise in facial anatomy and injectables."

How much does it cost to fix the problem?

Cosmetic orthodontic treatment, such as braces or aligners, is not available for adults on the NHS, meaning those who suffer from any issues must fork out huge amounts themselves to fix them.

NHS treatment is only approved for health reasons.

On average, private care for braces or aligners cost around £2,500, according to the NHS website.

But Davies said people could end up spending up to £5,000.

There are cheaper market alternatives, such as clear aligner firms Smile White and Invisalign, but they still come with a hefty price tag of more than £1,000.

Why is it hard to get a full picture of side effects?

Not all clinicians agree that there is a correlation between tooth movement and lip fillers.

Head of dentistry at Bupa Dental Care Anni Seaborne told Money people see a natural shift in their jaw shape in their early to mid 20s - an age group particularly popular for lip fillers.

This can ultimately cause teeth to become misaligned, she explained.

Getting an idea of all the side effects caused by filler is difficult because it is a fairly unregulated industry.

Dermal fillers used for medical purposes are regulated by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, but those used for cosmetic-only procedures are not regulated.

The MHRA has not identified any adverse incident reports for dental related adverse effects in association with lip fillers.

Save Face is the only government-approved register of qualified practitioners, helping people to find someone they trust to perform filler procedures.

Founder Ashton Collins told Money that she hadn't come across any complaints related to teeth, and that she couldn't see how lip fillers would cause an issue unless they were "dangerously overfilled".

What should you be looking out for?

To minimise any risks, it's important to choose a highly trained and qualified practitioner.

Save Face recommended being treated by a nurse, doctor, dentist or prescribing pharmacist to ensure they can legally hand out prescriptions if something goes wrong.

It said you must not pay for treatments in advance of aconsultation with your practitioner, or proceed with treatment if you do notfully understand the information you are given.

"Take the necessary time to make your decisionsdo not be hurried into the treatment, ask forinformation in writing to take away," it advised.

"Ask for copies of before and after photographsfor your reference.

"Do not have treatment in your home, at parties or exhibitions or in environments thatare clearly not clean or appropriate."

For those having orthodontic treatment, Dr Davies advised people to consult their specialist orthodontist first on the effects lip filler might have on their treatment.

"Whilst the fillers serve an aesthetic purpose, this impact on dental alignment and orthodontic treatment should not be overlooked. To manage these concerns, I would ask people to really consider whether they need such a cosmetic procedure," he added.

If you've ever spent your morning commute daydreaming about starting afresh with your career, this feature is for you.Each Monday we speak to someone from a different profession to discover what it's really like.

This week we chat to Aaron Archer, fromJoseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Mamma Mia! about life as a West End performer...

There's no such thing as a starting salary in the performing arts...A job may be an equity contract with a union that sets out minimum salaries depending on the size of the theatre or the amount of work and many other varying factors. Or it could be a privately/commercially financed job, meaning the salary can vary hugely. All equity minimum figures can be found online but it can range between £600-900 roughly a week for an ensemble member in a West End show. Again, this figure can vary below or above this. The principals will earn a higher salary as well as people who cover other roles or have extra responsibilities such as being the dance captain.

You don't necessarily havea stable income to rely on...Contracts can differ in length from just a few days to a year or more.

Many performers have another job on the side...to supplement their income, as sometimes you can't solely rely on the earnings from performing.

People might look down at a cruise ship contract...but these performers are extremely talented and earning money doing the job they love just the same as somebody in a show in the West End, with the cruise ship job paying more than a West End contract sometimes.

A usual week consists ofeightshows...but over busy periods extra shows can be added. With most shows being around two and half hours, as well as any additional rehearsals, we are working between 35-40 hours a week with one day off.

It's very hard toplan ahead... You never know what you're going to be doing or where you are going to be from one year to the next. I went from working on a cruise as a dancer travelling the world, to then the next year making my West End debut in Mamma Mia.

The most important skill to do this job wellis... to just be a nice person. Obviously your talent and hard work and dedication will be a huge factor in getting jobs but if you are a nice, friendly person then that will make you 10x more employable.

My favourite part of my job is...knowing that six-year-old me would have never imagined I'd be doing this as my career and getting to meet so many amazing people.

You meetamazing people at the stage door... who want to meet the cast members and sometimes get a picture or signature after the show. But stage door isn't compulsory and sometimes you do just want to get home to rest and you can be made to feel guilty if people are unhappy that they didn't get the chance to see you afterwards.

My mind has gone blank for split seconds... and there have been multiple occasions where in a scene carrying bagpipes the pipes have fallen off or broken on stage. I've just had to carry on while holding a snapped pipe in my hand, somehow managing to keep a straight face.

Rejection is a regular thing to deal with... It's normal to get emotionally attached to opportunities that you have put so much time and effort into, after rounds and rounds of auditions for a job and waiting weeks to hear if you've booked the job or not. It is emotionally draining.

For one role I had to fake tan twice a week... and another I had to wear a wetsuit and flippers on stage while dancing.

Dealing with burnout from a very physically and mentally demanding schedule... can make it harder to have other commitments outside of work and seeing friends and family.

Theatre is good value for money when you look at...how much work goes into what the audience members are seeing on the stage. The sheer volume of people that it takes to put on a show, from the production team to the backstage team, cast, creatives, wardrobe, wigs, makeup, sound, theatre front of house staff and many other teams of people that make it possible. I do think that some ticket prices for some shows have become not as easily accessible, but apps like TodayTiks are great for finding affordable tickets for various shows.

Welcome back to Money, Sky News' hub for personal finance and consumer news, tips and analysis.

We'll be kicking off the week with our latestWhat it's really like to be...feature shortly. This week we have spoken to a West End performer.

Here are five more reasons to come back this week...

Interest rates day

It might not be a date marked in your calendar, but it is in ours - the Bank of England will make its latest interest rate decision on Thursday.

It is expected to hold interest rates at 4.5%, but investors are pricing inaround two further 0.25% cuts over therest of the year.

We'll have all the latest reaction and analysis after the decision.

Lip fillers could cost you thousands in dental work

Lip filler could end up costing people thousands in dental work, a specialist orthodontist has warned.

Dr James Davies, who owns the Quayside Orthodontics chain in south Wales, told Money he had seen clients suffering with teeth issues after the cosmetic procedure.

This morning we'll explore the problems he has been noticing, how much it costs to get them fixed and what you should be looking out for if you're getting lip filler.

Bills going up across the board in April - we'll tell you how to beat (some of) the increases

April is the month when most household bills go up - coinciding with the start of a new financial year.

We'll run down every hike, what discounts are available and how else you could potentially avoid paying more in our Saturday deep dive.

Chef reveals 'underrated' cut of meat and cheap noodle recipe

In this week's Cheap Eats on Thursday, we'll be speaking to Anthony "Murf" Murphy, co-founder of The Beefy Boys.

He shares his top cheap recipe to cook at home and the most underrated cut of meat you can buy at the supermarket.

Money Problem, Savings Guide and Mortgage Guide

Each Tuesday we get experts to answer a reader's Money Problem.

Tomorrow we'll be talking to consumer expert Scott Dixon about what to do when Deliveroo gets your order wrong and won't replace it.

Every Wednesday, savings queen Anna Bowes offers advice for making the most of your spare cash and reveals the best rates on the market right now.

And on Fridays, we do similarly with mortgages, hearing from industry experts on what anyone seeking to borrow needs to know now before rounding up the best rates with the help of Moneyfacts.

By Katie Williams, live news reporter

Returning to work after spending a long time on leave with a baby is not always an easy transition.

As well as the emotional toll it can take, parents also have to decide how to juggle looking after their little one while trying to get back into the swing of life in the workforce.

And whether off for a few months or a year, mothers have reported facing difficulties over becoming a working parent, due to soaring childcare costs or a lack of support from their employer around flexible working.

Some mums say going back to work and paying for childcare means they'll struggle to break even or end up in the red each month. Many have ended up quitting as a result despite enjoying their job and wanting career progression.

Stats tell the story

A recent study by UN Women UK found one in four (25%) of mothers with children aged up to 18 years old have had to unwillingly give up work, compared with 7% of fathers. The figure rose to a third of women with children under five.

A similar proportion of mums (26%) have had to unwillingly reduce their working hours for childcare reasons, versus 8% of dads.

When mothers were asked their reasons for giving up work, financial reasons came top for children of all ages. A lack of childcare places or flexible working options were the next most common reasons for mums with children up to 11 years old.

It doesn't help that the UK has some of the highest childcare costs in the world, and how much parents pay is a postcode lottery.

Research by The Co-operative Bank earlier last year found that London is the most expensive place for childcare, with monthly full-time childcare costs reaching £1,781 on average. Costs can be more than half that in cities further north.

According to children's charity Coram, the average annual cost of a part-time (25-hour) nursery place for a child under two in Britain rose by 7.4% between 2023 and 2024. Since 2014, it has risen by a third.

Case study: Rebecca would have ended up working for £30 a day

We spoke to several women who ended up leaving work due to pressures they faced as working mothers, with most saying finances or a lack of job flexibility drove their decision.

Rebecca Day, 37, from Suffolk, previously had a managerial job with a salary of more than £40,000.

She worked full-time and then part-time after having her son in 2019, but when assessing her finances after having a daughter in 2023, she decided to leave her job completely upon realising she would essentially earn no more than £30 per day after paying for childcare, fuel and an after-school club for her son.

"The whole system is so broken, it's kind of ridiculous," she said.

"I've tried it all... it's just so hard, you literally cannot win. People will judge you for staying at home, they'll think 'why aren't you going and getting a career?'"

Rebecca said leaving her job took a huge "mental and emotional strain" and left her feeling like her pride had been hit.

"I'm making a decision now for this next four or five years maybe. I don't know if I'll ever be able to get back in," she said. "So it's really hard, it's been turmoil."

She continued: "It makes me angry and it makes me sorry for other people in less well-paid careers."

Rebecca now works an out-of-hours job which allows her to spend every day with her daughter.

"My career was really important to me. But I just have to keep telling myself being a mother is important to me too, and it doesn't make me less of an intelligent or academic or professional person now that I'm not 'traditionally' working or in something competitive.

"It winds me up that men don't have to ever be put in this position to make this choice."

Case study: Teacher Charlotte had to accept demotion

Charlotte, a teacher from Hampshire, had a head of department role before she had her first baby in 2018.

After taking a year's maternity leave, she wanted to reduce her hours but was told it wouldn't work - a familiar story for thousands of women.

She spent a year working full-time, juggling childcare and her job and paying for breakfast club on top of nursery fees, before asking to reduce her hours again. A small reduction was finally agreed in exchange for her remaining as head of department, but the timetable still left her struggling to manage her responsibilities.

When she had her second baby in 2021, Charlotte had to step down from the head of department role in order to work three days a week. Later in 2023, when she and her husband were planning their third baby, she left the job completely as it was "not cost effective to stay working".

"I genuinely enjoyed my job," Charlotte said. "I enjoyed the people I was with and miss that part of my life where I could have a social interaction that comes with teaching.

"It was more than just giving up the salary. I was giving up lots of other aspects as well."

Charlotte said she now feels "conflicted" about being a stay-at-home mother.

"I've already booked my youngest a place in nursery when he'll be turning one, with no idea of why - just more because I was hoping I would have something figured out by then.

"If all my kids are in nursery and school and I'm a housewife pottering around at home, but I'm there for pick up and drop off and all the other things, is that enough, or do I still feel like I want something else?

"I feel stuck. I might as well just throw my hands up and say, fine, I'll put everything on pause, get all the kids through primary school at least, and then turn back and think about 'what do I actually want?'"

Free childcare provision 'not making a difference'

JoeliBrearley, founder and outgoing chief executive of Pregnant Then Screwed, a charity promoting the rights of pregnant women and mothers, says there are many women "desperate" to return to work, but who "just can't afford to do so".

She said the parental leave system means women are "programmed" to compare the cost of childcare to their own income rather than that of the whole household.

"Either they'll look at the cost of childcare and think 'this just doesn't add up, I'll be paying to go to work'… or they try and get some flexible working so that their reliance on childcare is less," Joeli said.

A widespread extension of free nursery provision was introduced in England last year.

Previously, only eligible parents of children aged between three and four years old were able to claim free childcare, but as of last September, parents of children from nine months old have been able to access at least 15 free hours a week.

But the free hours are only available during term time, and many providers have hiked prices as a result to cover funding gaps.

Joeli said costs for childcare outside the funded hours are "extraordinarily high".

"It's still extremely expensive to use childcare and it's also very hard to get childcare. Lots of parents are unable to secure the sort of childcare that they want. So again that means that they question whether it's worth returning to work."

She added that 15 free hours "isn't anywhere near enough".

"Some parents are saving, you know, maybe £100 to £200 a month. But data is showing that not many are in that position, that actually for the majority, the amount they're saving is negligible."

Pregnant Then Screwed is calling for employers to provide more support for mothers returning to work and look into partnerships with local childcare providers or provide onsite services where possible.

Joeli said the charity also wants an improved paternity leave offering from the government "so that this problem doesn't fall on the shoulders of women".

"We need the childcare system to be completely scrapped and we need to start again. It's not working," she said.

"At the moment we're papering over the cracks and throwing money down the drain because the whole system is just creaking under the pressure of it being built on quicksand."

A government spokesperson said: "Giving every child the best start in life is crucial to our mission to break the unfair link between background and success.

"We are determined to create a reformed, sustainable early years system, delivering an increase in government-funded hours, thousands of school-based nurseries and improved early language and maths support."

By Jess Sharp, Money live reporter

It was a week when we learned what happens when you try to stand up to Trump's trade war (Canada, EU), and when an alternative, passive approach was put into action (UK).

The US president's 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports took effect, impacting UK products worth hundreds of millions of pounds.

Sir Keir Starmer said he was "disappointed" but did not announce any retaliatory measures.

It became clear the UK is hoping its approach will help persuade Trump to offer wider exemptions and move towards a US-UK trade deal.

The European Union took a different approach, threatening to impose tariffs of its own affecting €26bn (£21.9bn) of US goods from the start of next month.

It said the charges would apply to American steel, aluminium, textiles, home appliances, agricultural goods and whiskey.

The Trump administration, playing the playground bully, shot back with a threat of a 200% tariff on EU alcohol.

A similar story played out with Canada, which was told to expect 50% tariffs (instead of the 25% that came in on Wednesday) after the province of Ontario whacked a 25% charge on electricity being sent to northern US states. Neither threat materialised.

While Trump is aiming to protect US manufacturing, bolster jobs and make foreign-made products less attractive, economists believe his tariffs will raise costs in the US, push up inflation and keep interest rates higher for longer.

Even Tesla, the electric car company owned by Trump's biggest cheerleader Elon Musk, wrote to the government warning that the trade issues could hurt American companies.

Our business presenter Ian King had a look at the hammering Tesla has suffered in the piece below...

Investor concerns, mostly linked to the tariff war, have reduced Tesla's market value by around £800bn - Trump ended up buying one of the cars in a bizarre, televised show of support for the business and Musk.

Stock markets felt the worst of the tariff effects as consumer and investor confidence slumped, but they started to pick up slightly by the end of the week.

Our deputy political editor Sam Coates explored what all of this means for the UK and whether we'll be seeing higher prices creeping in...

The UK's chancellor was dealt a blow on Friday when January's GDP figures showed that despite her calls for growth, the economy had contracted by 0.1%.

The fall was mainly driven by a decline in the production sector, with output dropping 0.9%.

It's worse than economists had expected, with many predicting 0.1% growth.

Rachel Reeves said the country was "feeling the consequences" of a changing world as she came under pressure to use her spring statement in less than two weeks time to change course.

She is due to deliver the statement on 26 March, which is widely expected to include controversial cuts to the welfare budget.

At the same time, the Office for Budget Responsibility is widely expected to downgrade its forecasts for UK growth.

Our business correspondent Paul Kelso explains here why the economy isn't listening to Reeves...

The story that most captured our readers' attention this week (we have analytics for this stuff) concerned Grammy-nominated singer Dawn Robinson.

The '90s R&B singer from the girl group En Vogue revealed she has been living in her car for the last three years...

You also enjoyed the success our cost of living specialist Megan Harwood-Baynes had fixing this week's Money Problem.

She helped our reader Isla get a £500 refund from Turkish Airlines after she was kicked off a plane for having a nut allergy.

You can read how she did it here...

We're signing off for the week now - but don't forget to check out our long read from 8am tomorrow morning.

This week, we take a look at how childcare costs and job demands are driving mothers out of the workforce.

We've spoken to some mums who say going back to work and paying for childcare means they'll still end up in the red each month, and the changes they think the system needs.

Donatella Versace has stepped down from her role as head of Versace after almost three decades.

The 69-year-old took over the Italian firm in 1997 after its founder and her brother Gianni was murdered.

Since then, she has become a fashion icon, shaping the brand's modern identity and creating looks for the likes of Madonna, Beyonce and Lady Gaga.

Some of her most famous creations were a green jungle dress for Jennifer Lopez in 2000 and Michelle Obama's final state dinner dress in 2016.

She isn't leaving the company entirely, instead stepping into the role of chief brand ambassador.

She will be replaced by Miu Miu former design director Dario Vitale.

The change comes amid speculation that Prada Group is in discussions to buy Versace from Capri Holdings, which paid €2bn for the fashion house in 2018.

Dodgy injuries and photoshopped receipts were among the schemes used by fraudsters last year who tried to claim nearly £100m from a UK insurer, new data shows.

Zurich UK's fraud prevention team uncovered the equivalent of nearly £260,000-worth of bogus claims every day last year, totalling £94.7m across 2024.

In one claim detected by Zurich, a customer submitted photos of items allegedly in the boot of a car during an accident, but it emerged the photos had been sourced from the internet.

Another saw a student submit a claim for frozen food following a power cut, but Zurich said the receipt had been digitally amended.

The most fraudulent claims were for fake casualty incidents, totalling 1,996 claims (65%) worth £61.14m.

Preston has been announced as the headquarters for a proposed new regional bank.

NW Mutual will only provide services to individuals and small and medium-sized businesses based in the North West and plans to begin opening the first of its expected 60 branches by the end of 2026.

The bank - which describes itself as an "ethical" bank - was launched in response to the closure of more than 50% of traditional bank branches in the region (according to a spokesperson).

Dave Burke, a senior executive at NW Mutual, said the bank plans to recycle more than £900m back into the North West region.

Preston City Council's recent budget meeting heard that the NW Mutual would open its main office base in Preston along with its very first branch.

You may remember our hard-hitting campaign here in Money last year to bring back eight classic sweets and treats to shop shelves.

Well, this morning fans of one discontinued favourite are celebrating as a comeback was announced.

Walkers Worcester Sauce wasn't one of our featured eight, but many of you had submitted it as one you'd like to return...

And now it's back! After a hiatus from stores, the iconic flavour was given alimited edition run in its home town, Worcester, last week, with Walkers teasing its return to supermarkets afterwards.

Sharing the news of the relaunch, the crisp makers said: "On reflection, maybe we shouldn't have just limited the sale of Walkers Worcester Sauce flavoured crisps to only one store in Worcester."