Botox: A New Trend In Dental Industry

Botox – It is the most popular and trending cosmetic procedure in the Dental Industry. It is the next big thing in the dental world. Botox injections are quite well-known for providing the best solution for cosmetic needs. It aims to impart smooth skin and fixed facial expressions.

Botox is also believed to be a suitable option for treating certain orofacial conditions and other dental conditions that go beyond aesthetics. Botox has numerous benefits and applications in dentistry, but it also poses few risks (not major)that should be discussed with patients prior to them deciding to embark on Botox treatment.

What Do You Mean By Botox?

Botox is basically a drug that is derived from a toxin known as Clostridium botulinum. This toxin is also available in various natural environments such as lakes, forests, and intestinal tracts of mammals. The active, therapeutic neurotoxin is harvested, separated, and purified in a lab to make it safe and effective for treatment. The use of this toxin in the form of an injectable paralytic has been approved by the FDA – Food & Drug Administration for cosmetic procedures.

How Does Botox Work?

Botox is transformed into serum and then injected into the skin. As soon as the serum is injected, Botox blocks the nerve signals that control the muscle movement and makes them unable to contract. The process initially paralyzes the targeted muscles and alleviates certain muscular conditions. It helps in reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on the face. It is a painless medical procedure that generally taken only 15 to 20 minutes to complete. The procedure will immediately soften the affected skin area and typically takes a few hours to show the actual results.

Application Of Botox In Dentistry

Nowadays, the use of Botox is becoming quite popular in dentistry. Specifically, Botox has been used in dentistry to correct parafunctional clenching, extracapsular myogenic temporomandibular disorder, trismus, and the headaches that accompany these conditions. Dentists offer Botox injection services that can enhance the overall credibility of any dental practice and adequately meet the needs of your patient base. Botox can be incorporated in a dental office when it is a part of a comprehensive treatment within a dental scope.

Botox is considered to be a safe and simple procedure and dentistry and Botox cater to individuals who are uncomfortable with certain aspects of their appearance or their health.

While some dentists do use Botox for cosmetic procedures, there are many other uses for Botox in dentistry.

  • Treatment of Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ)
  • Treatment of bruxism (teeth grinding)
  • Reducing a “gummy smile” without surgical intervention
  • Adjustment of lips before or after denture placement or oral surgeries.

Dentists Performing Botox: Botox is usually a cosmetic surgery but dentists have also received extensive training on oral and facial anatomy which makes them qualified for performing Botox. A dental professional must have acquired appropriate education as well as training prior to administering Botox. There are certain regulations for dentists, and dental hygienists stated by the licensing board of regulation and laws which need to be followed religiously.

There are several proponents of the application of Botox in dentistry that claims dentists should be considered as most qualified to perform Botox. With skilled and experienced hands of a dentist, the injections can be done quickly and would be less painful for the patients.

Summary:

While the use of Botox at the dentist may be controversial, it has many benefits, both cosmetically and medically. In fact, around 10% of dentists are currently trained to administer Botox injections and the American Dental Association is offering Botox training for members. but it’s a trend we envision increasing especially as demand grows and more and more state dental boards support the practice.