The American Society of Plastic Surgeons report that over 7.2 million Americans received Botox injections in 2017. This statistics could be even larger when you consider the small shops and amateurs that offer Botox injections to clients. This is a substance that can help get rid of fine lines and wrinkles, but it can be dangerous and cause nerve damage and injuries when it is used incorrectly. That is why you should consider Dental Botox from a dental professional, trained to know all the intricate nerves and tissues of the face.

How Does Botox Work?

“Botox is a neurotoxin that inhibits the release of acetylcholine (ACH), a neurotransmitter responsible for the activation of muscle contraction and glandular secretion, and its administration results in reduction of tone in the injected muscle,” explains the National Institute of Health (NIH). There is no loss of sensory feeling in the muscles when Botox is injected, but by interrupting the motor nerve endings, the muscle cannot contract. This allows tense or overactive areas a break from stress or overuse symptoms.

Why Botox Delivered from a Dentist is Ideal

When it comes to the architecture of the face, dentists are experts of the muscle and bone structures. During their dental training, dentists study the oral and maxillofacial (areas from the chin to the forehead) in detail. What does this mean for you? It means that you can trust their Botox injections to be precise and to offer you natural-looking results. Keep frozen, strange, or awkward Botox results away by enlisting a dental professional for your botox treatments.

How Botox is Used in Dental Treatment

The NIH agrees that the dental health benefits Botox can offer is substantial: “The use of Botox is a minimally invasive procedure and is showing quite promising results in management of muscle-generated dental diseases like Temporomandibular disorders, bruxism, clenching, masseter hypertrophy and used to treat functional or esthetic dental conditions like deep nasolabial folds, radial lip lines, high lip line and black triangles between teeth.”

Botox treatments offer dental health benefits that most haven’t considered.  If you have any of the following conditions, dental botox treatment may be for you:

• A “gummy” smiles due to over-retracted upper lips
• Upside-down smiles (as it takes more muscles to frown compared to smiling)
• Lip lines and puckered chins
• Headache pain resulting from muscle tension in the head, face, and neck
• Headaches resulting from bite issues such as TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint) Syndrome
• Persistent clenching and grinding of the teeth

Headaches

Seeing your dentist when you are suffering from headaches may not seem like the first course of action, but if you are experiencing frequent headaches (especially in the morning), the cause of your headaches may be related to grinding your teeth or teeth clenching in the night. Dr. Bockrath can provide you with a nightguard that you wear when you are sleeping that can help alleviate your chronic headaches.

Clinical Uses of Dental Botox

If you suffer from chronic TMJ and facial pain, botox has been found to help ease your symptoms. It is also used as an alternative to invasive surgical procedures for the treatment of

high lip line cases, denture patients who have trouble adjusting to new dentures, lip augmentation, and even in orthodontic cases where retraining of the facial muscles is necessary.

Call for a Consultation

Interested in seeing how you could benefit from dental botox? Schedule a dental botox consultation today with Dr. Bockrath to discuss treatment options. Mountain Aire Dentistry, located in Broomfield, CO is a general and family dentistry practice. We are passionate about helping you and your children achieve and maintain optimal oral health and a beautiful smile! We focus on prevention, tooth preservation, and awareness and make every effort to treat our patients the way we treat members of our own family. We offer comprehensive care for your dental needs in a relaxed and efficient atmosphere.  We look forward to meeting you and your family! Call us today at (303) 731-7755 to make an appointment.