The application of dental Botox® for the treatment of oral health issues is becoming popular in different fields of dentistry. Cosmetic dentists use dental Botox® to correct a gummy smile or to minimize the look of wrinkles around the mouth. On the flip side, general dentists use Botox® to treat disorders like teeth grinding and TMD.
That being said, the very nature of dental Botox® treatments makes them unsuitable for certain patients, while remaining the perfect option for others. Before getting into who qualifies for dental Botox® treatment, it is important to take a look at how it actually works.
Botox® is a brand name and a sort-of acronym for Botulinum Toxin. As the term suggests, Botox® is made from a toxin excreted by the bacteria that causes botulism, an illness that causes potentially lethal paralysis.
It is the paralytic properties of the toxin that makes it such a popular cosmetic and dental treatment. Applied in small doses, this toxin causes localized paralysis in target areas; the benefits of which are:
It seems that Botox® is a versatile treatment with varied dental applications. This means that dental Botox® can help patients with the kinds of problems listed above. The question is: Can it help all of them?
Just because Botox® is a potential solution for an individual’s dental problem does not mean that it is the right treatment for them. A good candidate for dental Botox® is one:
Patients with nerve disorders, nerve injuries and chronic muscle conditions like muscular sclerosis (MS) should stay away from the use of dental Botox®.
Botox® becomes less effective the older an individual is. The treatment works best for people under the age of 50. Botox® is not FDA-approved for people over the age of 65.
People with sensitive skin may have an adverse reaction to dental Botox®. A person with a skin infection around the target area may also react badly to the treatment.
Some wrinkles only appear when an individual smiles, squints or frowns. This type of wrinkle is easy to correct with dental Botox®. In contrast, there is only so much Botox® can do for wrinkles that are always visible.
Dental Botox® wears off, so a person who opts for the treatment should make peace with this fact. A patient who wants a more permanent solution should ask their dentist to recommend a different course of action.
Dental Botox® is temporary but non-invasive. In the case of a problem like TMJ, a patient may ask for a more permanent fix that would require minor jaw surgery.
Sometimes the more aggressive option is not a matter of choice but of necessity. If a patient’s jaw disorder is caused by a deformity, then dental Botox® would only be a temporary solution that can do little to help in the long term.
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Request an appointment here: https://alaskaadvanceddentistry.com or call Alaska Advanced Dentistry at (907) 522-3633 for an appointment in our Anchorage office.
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