Botox treatment has long been known in the aesthetic treatment field. It is used to remove wrinkles and manipulate the shape of the face to make it look younger and more beautiful. So what does Botox have to do with dentistry?
What it Entails
Botox treatment involves injecting botulinum toxin A into muscles. Within hours, the toxin inhibits the nerve transmission to these motor muscles, preventing it from contracting. Treatment can up to ten days to completely take effect. Once it does, the effect will last around three months.
Affecting muscle movement is something that can be used in aesthetic dentistry, Cuffley Village Dental Practice explains. Cosmetic dentistry is about how you look when you smile. Aesthetic dentistry concerns itself with how you smile.
What it Can Do
In some cases, such as temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ), or when the patient clenches too hard that it causes facial pain, Botox can be used as a remedy. Since Botox prevents the muscles from contracting, injecting it into the muscles near the TMJ can alleviate the patient’s facial pain. The dosage applied to this treatment is about half of what is used in wrinkle removal treatment. In doses of this level, it acts more as a muscle relaxant than movement inhibitor. It then becomes an aid to moving your jaw without much difficulty.
It can also be of particular use for patients getting fitted for dentures. If the patient has been without teeth for a long while the muscles will adapt to the change. Using Botox, the jaw muscles can be retrained. When this happens, dentures can be fitted and used more easily.
Safe Use of Botox
Being a medical treatment, only licensed professionals have clearance to use Botox. That said, not all dental clinics use Botox in their treatments. In boroughs such as Enfield, only a few clinics offer this type of treatment or use of Botox.
If you feel that this can help you would like to take a look at this option, ask your dentist. They may be able to look into it for you or refer you to someone who can.
