You might have heard of Botox treatment, an injectable medicine that works to enhance the appearance of your skin. But you might not know that your dentist can administer Botox as a cosmetic dental solution as well.
Your dentist specializes in the health, structure, and appearance of your teeth. But they are also experts in the entire surrounding area of the mouth, including the skin of the face, making them highly qualified to employ Botox in their dental care.
Botox can provide many aesthetic advantages, but it can also enhance your oral health. Read on to learn about the specific benefits you can notice if you receive Botox treatment from your dentist.
Improve Facial Aesthetics
Botox is known to improve the appearance of the skin, especially on the face. It accomplishes this aesthetic enhancement by relaxing the targeted facial muscles so that they do not contract or move. This brief paralysis will stop the skin from stretching and losing its elasticity.
As a result, the skin will appear tighter and therefore younger. This also addresses fine lines and wrinkles that can form in the face, especially around the mouth and eyes. It can prevent their formation while smoothing existing lines.
Botox can also address other aesthetic issues, including the way that your smile appears. The medicine can make lips appear fuller. And it can stop the lip from rising too high above the teeth when you smile. This can prevent too much gum tissue from showing that might otherwise disrupt the look of your smile. Talk to your cosmetic dentist to learn how Botox can help you with your specific aesthetic concerns.
Relieve Chronic Jaw Pain and Dysfunction
Have you noticed persistent pain in the jaw, difficulty moving your jaw, or a clicking sound in the jaw? These symptoms point to temporomandibular joint disorders, also known as TMJ. This issue develops when bite problems or poor oral habits make teeth grind or grate together.
This results in pressure that radiates to the jaw, creating tension in the joint there. Then, the surrounding muscles experience inflammation that leads to discomfort and dysfunction in the entire jaw. The problem will worsen without intervention from a dentist.
The treatment for TMJ will largely depend on the cause of the symptoms. But a dentist can relieve discomfort from TMJ with Botox. The medicine relaxes tight muscles in the jaw so that you can alleviate pain and other symptoms that occur due to TMJ.
Then you can perform oral functions like chewing and speaking without disruption or pain. This can ensure that TMJ does not lead to dietary or communication problems that can have long-term effects on your well-being.
You should still consult with your dentist to learn the best way to treat TMJ. For instance, you might need to straighten your smile, find treatment for bruxism, or adjust your lifestyle. But Botox offers one way for you to feel more comfortable pursuing your daily activities.