When most people think of Botox, they label the injection as a purely aesthetic solution that minimizes wrinkles and slows signs of aging. While this is accurate—Botox is extremely effective as a cosmetic treatment—there are many other medical applications that can significantly improve quality of life.
What is Botox?
Botox is a toxin developed from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Botox temporarily paralyzes certain muscles, which makes it an excellent remedy not only for reducing fine lines on the face, but also as a treatment for a number of specific medical conditions.
How does Botox work?
If Dental Arts recommends Botox for you, the first step would involve setting up an appointment at our office to ensure optimal health and safety standards are met.
One of our doctors will make a small injection into the muscle tissue that she’s identified as the correct injection point. Over the next several days, the Botox will block signals traveling from the nerve to the muscle. This decreases the firing activity of the muscle and therefore prevents it from contracting.
Although this process can take 1-3 days in order to start seeing and feeling results, the beneficial outcomes of Botox peak at two weeks and will last several months.
Botox and Oral Health
Many oral health problems stem from stress and tense muscles, which can cause pain in the neck, head and jaw, and also damage natural teeth. Botox helps by relaxing those tense muscles in the face and mouth so that you can have a pain-free smile.
Botox has been used to correct parafunctional clenching, temporomandibular disorder, trismus (difficulty opening) and the headaches that accompany these conditions.
By proactively investing in Botox injections, you’re able to loosen up your muscles and negate or lessen potential long-term effects of prolonged tension.
If you would like to get more information on Botox treatment, how to improve your oral health or how Dental Arts can help you get the results you want for your mouth, please contact us.
Dental Arts is a full-service general dentistry and orthodontic practice for the entire family. For more than three decades, we have been providing the highest quality dental and orthodontic care available to the residents of New Orleans. Explore the Dental Arts difference today.
