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What Are BOTOX Procedures and How Do They Work?

In cosmetic surgery circles, BOTOX is an everyday term, being as it is the most common of all cosmetic surgery types. But many dental patients may be unfamiliar with BOTOX procedures and wonder what it has to do with dentistry.
Why is BOTOX so popular?
There are many large and small muscles in the face. Exposure to sunlight causes us to squint our eyes and over time those small muscles create wrinkles that become more pronounced when activated and then don’t disappear when the bright light disappears. More forehead lines appear when we become angry or get surprised. Botox mini injections are an approved method to reduce the action of the overused small muscles and thereby reduce residual wrinkles. Surprisingly comfortable and safe improvement can last for 3 to 6 months before repeating if desired. Botox is also useful for treating Hyperhidrosis as well as TMJ and some Migraine headache relief.

What Is “BOTOX?”
BOTOX is a drug produced by the bacteria known as “clostridium botulinum.” Technically, botulinum is a neurotoxin, but when used in very small doses, it is not harmful. In medicine, it is used to treat muscle disorders; in cosmetics, it helps in the removal of unwanted wrinkles.

Some dentists and periodontists will offer BOTOX procedures to enhance your smile yet further after receiving dental implants or other dental work. After all, your face is the “frame” surrounding your smile, and removal of wrinkles can only improve the aesthetics.

BOTOX is a specific brand-name drug with very specific training required to use it. Only trust a dentist to do BOTOX procedures who has gone through this rigorous training and has significant experience in treating patients with this drug.

How Does BOTOX Treatment Work?
The drug BOTOX in very small amounts will be injected by a miniature needle into the relevant muscles. Actually, BOTOX powder is mixed with sodium chloride (salt) to dilute it and is injected one to three times into each targeted muscle.

It will take from 24 to 72 hours for the BOTOX to noticeably affect your wrinkles.
But why does it work? BOTOX interrupts the neurological messaging between your brain and specific muscles, wherewith they are told to contract. This results in eliminating or greatly reducing wrinkling that is caused by muscular spasms/contractions.

What Kinds of Wrinkles Are Treated With BOTOX?
While wrinkles just about anywhere on your body can be removed by BOTOX procedures, in a dental context, the focus will be on facial wrinkles.

Most commonly, BOTOX is used on “glabellar lines” (inter-eyebrow wrinkles) and “frown/brow lines” in general. But here are some other wrinkle-types treated by BOTOX procedures:

  • Lines around the eyes known as “crow’s feet.”
  • Lines around the mouth called “smoker’s lines.”
  • Lines along the nose called “bunny lines.”
  • “Chin dent” wrinkles.

Also note that BOTOX can be used to prevent wrinkles from forming in specific areas to begin with or to prevent certain facial gestures that produce wrinkling.

What Are the Results?
During the BOTOX procedure, the tiny size of the needle used means there is very little pain experienced. And you won’t have to worry about going through any recovery time. But, it can take up to three days for the results to begin to appear, and it may be a week or two before your wrinkles are smoothed out to the maximum extent.

You have to realize that BOTOX only temporarily stops the selected muscles (mildly) and its effect will gradually wear off. Thus, you would have to repeat the BOTOX procedure every 3 to 6 months to maintain results. But you can eliminate most fine lines and superficial wrinkles for months at a time using BOTOX treatments and keep yourself looking young for as long as you periodically maintain the results.

To learn more about BOTOX and BOTOX procedures or to schedule an appointment, do not hesitate to contact periodontist Dr. Kenzik in Ormond Beach, FL, by calling 386-672-9440 or using the online contact form.

Located in Beautiful Ormond Beach

Ormond Beach Periodontics and Implant Dentistry is conveniently located off of Nova Road in Ormond Beach, Florida. We help seniors, adults, and teenagers smile with confidence.