Botox In Dentistry – The Next Big Thing?

Botulinum toxin, shortened as Botox, is a proteinous substance from a bacterial culture known as Clostridium Botulinum. Its action on the neuromuscular junction helps to suppress muscle contraction. Botox has been in use since 1975 for different purposes, such as correcting uncontrollable eye blinking, childhood strabismus, temporomandibular joint pains, and preventing aging.

While some people believe dentists should have nothing to do with Botox since they deal with oral health care, dentists are now using Botox both for dentistry and cosmetics purposes. However, there are certain limitations and requirements they must meet to be able to use Botox as a treatment. These limitations and requirements vary from state to state. Below are some of the uses of Botox in dentistry.

1. Oral & maxillofacial surgery

Different cities, including West Hollywood, have approved Botox for treatment by oral and maxillofacial surgeons; hence, if you are going for oral & maxillofacial surgery in West Hollywood, your dentist may suggest the use of Botox.

2. Treatment of edentulism

Decreased vertical dimension can reposition the lip muscles in edentulous patients, making new dentures not fit in; however, Botox treatment can help correct this condition. Botox helps to retrain and relax these lip muscles to enable new dentures to fit in more easily.

3. Minimizes Bruxism

Bruxism is the action of excessively and consistently clenching the jaw or grinding the teeth, especially during sleep. A little dose of Botox injected directly into the jaw helps to minimize or stop bruxism by weakening and relaxing the masseter muscle.

4. Corrects a gummy smile

With Botox, your dentist can help fix a gummy smile. The muscles become relaxed and temporarily insensitive by injecting Botox into the upper lip. As a result, more of the gums are covered as you smile. This effect is easily achieved without the use of surgery.

5. Treatment of TMJ disorder

Botox injections help reduce the jaw muscles' activities, thereby reducing the pain. TMJ disorder happens as a result of overactive jaw muscles. When Botox is injected into these muscles, they become inactive and less painful. The effect of Botox on the jaw muscles is very fast and efficient.

Previously, the FDA limited the approval of Botox to procedures like strabismus. Still, after further continuous research and tests, the medical community discovered more uses for the eight forms of botox in dentistry. It concluded that Botox offers a great future to the dental community. The following are other advantages of Botox that have made it gain popularity so fast:

1. Its effects are not permanent

One of the reasons dentists recommend Botox is that it does not have a permanent effect. The effect lasts for about four months, after which the patient can decide whether or not to continue its use.

2. It gives a fast result

When Botox is used for treatment, the results are almost immediate. Some people notice the peak result after 3 days, while some after about a week.

3. It is more cost-effective

Botox treatments are cheaper when compared to other cosmetic procedures; this is another reason it is preferred and gaining popularity.

4. The process is fast

Botox treatments do not take time, and it's something that can be done in less than 30 minutes. An added advantage is that it does not disturb your daily activities as it has a zero recovery period. This makes it possible for you to return straight to work.

Botox has been used for various reasons in the past few decades, and the dentistry profession has also begun to explore its use in different dental sections. With the look of things, Botox will soon take over the dentistry profession with little or no controversies.Contact or call us at (310) 275-3635 today to schedule a consultation. Our team at Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery West Hollywood looks forward to helping you with your Botox needs!