BOTOX® (Botulinum toxin) is a neurotoxin that blocks messages between muscles and the nerves that control them. BOTOX® is a natural protein. It is most powerful muscle relaxant with the least side-effects. Another safety benefit is that the Botulinum toxin does not stay in the body indefinitely. The temporary effects of BOTOX® become apparent 7-10 days after the procedure and generally last 3-4 months.
Head, jaw and neck pain very often has a dental occlusion and masticatory (chewing) muscle origin. This is often misdiagnosed and mistreated with aggressive, irreversible dental procedures, or, narcotic pain killers that leave the patient unable to function normally due to the severe side-effects of the medication. Pain affects one out of four patients and can have a profound effect on their physical, mental and spiritual well being. Recent advances in the understanding of pain have lead to new treatments and pain management techniques for acute and chronic dental and facial pain.
The most common benefit of BOTOX® in dentistry is the reduction in the number of clenching events and their intensity. This will reduce the destruction of your teeth, gums, and jaw joint, reduce the discomfort and pain in your face, jaw joint, teeth and chewing muscles. Other benefits include the elimination of tension headaches and migraines. BOTOX® may also be used to relax muscles that prevent mouth opening. The upper lips can be relaxed to prevent the gums from showing too much when smiling. Excessive and uncontrolled salivary flow can be reduced. A beneficial side-effect may be smoothing of lines between the brows, in the forehead and around the eyes.
BOTOX® is a simple, non-surgical procedure that is usually completed in less than 30 minutes. Elements Dental will have you contract the muscles of the areas to be treated to determine appropriate injection sites. Anesthesia may or may not be used. Any discomfort associated with the procedure is due to the injections, but is minimal and brief. Some patients have likened it to a "bug bite" or a "light pinch". Finally, Elements Dental will administer several tiny injections of BOTOX® directly into the muscle or gland. The BOTOX® will only affect the injected areas. Because the procedure is non-surgical and non-invasive, it is highly likely that the patient will be able to leave the office and continue with his or her daily activities.
The problem treated with BOTOX® will disappear for up to four months. The smooth, diminished appearance of the wrinkles may last up to four months. Patients should wait at least three months between treatments. There is also the likely possibility that with repeated treatments, the injected muscles will atrophy allowing the patient to go longer and longer between sessions. Botox may or may not be the best treatment option for the results that you desire. An ideal candidate meets the following conditions.
Dermal Fillers
As we age, our skin's dermis gradually loses its major constituents: collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid. Collagen acts as the major support protein for our skin, elastin allows are skin to stay firm and resist wrinkles, and hyaluronic acid helps to trap water and add volume and shape to our skin.
Dermal fillers, like Juvederm™, are becoming more and more popular as a way to help reverse the changes associated with aging. Because the goal is to return the dermis to its original young state, dermal fillers can give a more natural appearance than plastic surgery and facelifts. Dermal fillers are being used to eliminate or soften wrinkles, reduce scar depressions, enhance lips, and replace volume lost.
Juvederm™ is a synthetic gel made of hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance in you your skin that helps to add volume and hydration. Over time, Hyaluronic acid may diminish with age, contributing to the formation of wrinkles and folds. The smooth consistency gel is used most effectively for those wrinkles and folds in lower third of your face, like your "laugh lines", "smile lines", or "parentheses" (nasolabial folds, the creases that run from the bottom of your nose to the corners of your mouth), or "marionette lines" (oral commissures).
Juvederm™ injectable gel is a minimally invasive, doctor-administered treatment; there is minimal recovery or little to no downtime. So you can make an appointment for treatment and get right back to your life right after. The procedure usually only takes 30 minutes and the results are immediate and lasting usually 3 months. So you can step into your doctor's office for treatment and step right back into your life.
