While Botox® is best known as an anti-aging treatment, it can also enhance your smile. The popular cosmetic procedure is FDA-approved, and, according to a 2020 Plastic Surgery Statistics report, Botox is the #1 minimally invasive procedure in the United States. It’s an in-office procedure that takes about 15 minutes.
The popular cosmetic procedure is probably best known for reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around your mouth, nose, eyes, and jawline. Yet, it also has some less commonly known smile enhancing properties. For example, it can lift the corners of a downturned mouth and relieve teeth damage due to night-time teeth grinding and jaw clenching.
Dr. Duval and his team at Duval Orthodontics in Warner Robins and Albany, Georgia, share three ways Botox can ensure your smile dazzles.
Botox works by relaxing your muscles. It may sound counterintuitive because younger-looking skin is taut, but as your skin ages, the constant contraction of muscles underneath produces wrinkles. When Botox blocks the signals between your nerves and muscles, your muscles relax, which allows wrinkles and fine lines to smooth out.
Botox also enhances your smile in these three ways.
Bruxism is a condition where you grind or clench your teeth in your sleep. It can wreak havoc on your teeth, causing cracks and a lot of uneven wear-and-tear, and it can lead to headaches and migraine attacks. Our team can target your jaw’s muscles and inject them with small amounts of Botox so they relax, and the pain disappears.
Have you ever seen someone whose grin revealed more gums than teeth? That’s what we call a “gummy smile.” Botox corrects this by relaxing the muscles that control the upper lip, so it drops lower and covers more of the gum line. Then, a grin shows off your perfect teeth, not your pink gum lime.
Some people have a naturally downturned mouth that makes them look unhappy no matter what. The downward mouth can be a feature of genetics or age.
A few injections of Botox relax the muscles pulling the mouth down so they can lift instead. When your mouth naturally lifts at the corners, you look younger and more cheerful.
Each of these procedures is quick and only requires small injections. Since the effects of Botox typically last for 3-4 months, you can enjoy your new smile for some time before getting a touch-up.
Want to learn more about how Botox can help? Contact Duval Orthodontics to schedule a consultation with Dr. Duval. Call or click here to see if Botox is right for your smile enhancement.
