Who wouldn’t want a stunning smile? Your smile, after all, is one of the first things people notice about you.
But did you know that there’s more to achieving a great smile than straightening or correcting your teeth? Dental injectables, for instance, are non-invasive cosmetic procedures for improving certain facial features to further enhance your smile – or to address quite a few dental issues.
Botox®, is one of these injectables. Keep reading to learn more about how it can effectively treat some of the most common dental issues.
Understanding Botox®
Botulinum toxin (Botox®) is a neurotoxin or neuromodulator that relaxes or temporarily paralyzes facial muscles that cause fine lines and wrinkles. These muscle relaxants are commonly used for cosmetic facial treatments, but dentists have also integrated it into their practice to address other medical conditions relevant to their field.
For instance, your dental provider may suggest botox injections as an alternative solution to certain mouth or jaw problems, drawing up a customized treatment plan that can help with TMJ disorder and teeth grinding, or a gummy smile.
Botox® for TMJ and Teeth Grinding
Grinding your teeth can cause a slew of complications that can lead to serious problems that require more invasive and more expensive treatments later on. Muscle relaxants, such as Botox® injections, can help nip this in the bud by relaxing the muscles and thus providing relief.
TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder affects the joints in the jaw, along with the surrounding muscles and ligaments. The symptoms often include:
- Jaw pain or tenderness
- Pain in either or both of TMJ
- Pain in and around the ear
- Pain and/or difficulty chewing
- Facial pain
- Difficulty opening and closing the mouth
As with teeth grinding, Botox® can be used to relax the masseter and temporalis muscles and relieve the aforementioned TMJ symptoms.
Botox® for a Gummy Smile
A gummy smile can make a person feel self-conscious about showing their teeth while smiling, especially in photos, and can even make a person appear less friendly or genuine.
With Botox®, improving the appearance of a gummy smile can be done without surgery. Injected into the muscles that cause excess movement of the top lip and create a gummy smile, it relaxes the muscles there to prevent your upper lip from contracting or lifting too high and reducing the amount of gum on display when you smile.
A qualified provider who also has a dental background and is familiar with the proportions of a lovely smile would be best equipped to use Botox® for this purpose.
Most patients go to the dental clinic to achieve a beautiful smile. Thanks to dental aesthetics, dentists can use Botox® to correct a gummy smile – sparing the patient from the risks and downtime that come with dental surgery.
Aside from this, Botox® can be used to smooth out the appearance of fine lines around the mouth – leading to a better smile and a more youthful appearance.
With our expertise and experience in both dentistry and aesthetics, you can be sure that you are in good hands here at Dogwood Dental Spa. Call now and book your appointment with us today so we can help you achieve YOUR best smile!
