Botox is a trade name for botulinum toxin, which comes in the form of a purified protein. The most common uses for Botox is smoothing of the facial wrinkles of the forehead, between the eyes (glabellar region) and around the corners of the eyes (crow’s feet). There were nearly 2.5 million cosmetic procedures done with Botox in 2008 according to The American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Botox is injected into the facial muscles and, within a few hours, it attaches itself to the nerve endings of the motor muscles, thereby affecting the nerve transmission to these muscles. It takes anywhere from two to ten days to block the nerve transmitters which innervate the muscles where it was injected. There is no loss of sensory feeling at all during the time that botulinum toxin A is effective. Once these motor nerve endings are interrupted, the muscles cannot contract. When the muscle does not contract, the dynamic motion that causes wrinkles in the skin will then cease.
Approximately three to ten days after treatment, the skin above these motor muscles becomes nice and smooth. The effects of Botox lasts approximately three to four months depending on various factors including the amount of botulinum toxin A injected, metabolic activity of the patient and lifestyle choices, which may cause the Botox treatment not to last as long. This is one of the reasons that Botox has such an incredible safety record. Botulinum toxin A treatment by its nature is a temporary treatment and when the treatment effects are gone, they are gone completely.
Most Common Dental Uses for Botox
Botox has clinical uses as an adjunct in TMJ and bruxism cases, even more so for patients with moderate chronic temporomandibular joint and facial pain. Botox is a muscle relaxer and when given in typically half the dosage used for facial wrinkle smoothing treatment, it can greatly reduce the intensity of the muscle contractions that contribute to TMJ and facial pain and give the patient significant relief.
Botox is often used in conjunction with dermal filler therapy as a non-surgical alternative to high lip line cases. When done correctly, the patient is not able to raise her lip as high as before to show the gingiva on the left side, but still has the full ability to speak, chew and kiss. Although, results are close to immediate in one appointment, re-treatment may be needed 2-3 times a year.
Brands of Botox
There are, of course, many brands offered. We offer Botox and Xeomin.