4 Popular Cosmetic Uses for Botox Injections

It’s hard to believe, but there was once a time when addressing fine lines and wrinkles meant surgery. That all changed on April 15, 2002, when the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Botox® as a cosmetic treatment option for adults with moderate-to-severe frown lines.

In this blog, J. A. Duval, DDS, in Warner Robins and Albany, Georgia, shares his insights on how this well-known cosmetic injectable may be the most versatile treatment option in your dental provider’s toolbox.

What is Botox?

While you have likely heard of Botox, let’s begin this conversation with a quick primer on what Botox is and how it works. Botox is a prescription-grade product created from Botulinum toxin type A, which can trace its roots to the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, the poison that causes botulism.

With this laboratory-created product, a trained provider injects Botox at safe, low doses. Botulinum Toxin Type A – the active ingredient – temporarily blocks nerve signals that relay the message for muscles to contract, relaxing the muscles and creating a smoother appearance.

While Botox reduces tension in the treatment area, it doesn’t prevent patients from moving normally and naturally. Patients generally experience noticeable results in about five to 10 days after treatment. The effects of Botox last about three to six months, depending on the muscles that get treated.

Look great, feel great

Blocking nerve impulses and relaxing muscles makes Botox a versatile treatment that addresses various issues and symptoms.

1. Facial rejuvenation

Over the years, Botox injections have become synonymous with the no-scalpel facelift. You can get the ultimate facial refresh in the time it takes to go out for lunch. Botox can smooth out and relax those pesky crow’s feet, the 11 lines between your eyebrows, and those forehead lines that make you look much older than you are. But that’s not all.

2. Reduces headaches and migraines

The ability to relax muscles also makes Botox injections a treatment option for patients who suffer from chronic headaches and migraines. If you count yourself among the one billion people worldwide who suffer from migraines, you are aware that migraines can be debilitating.

Finding relief can be challenging and frustrating and hinder your quality of life. In 2010, the FDA approved Botox as a treatment option for migraines. With headaches and migraines, Botox not only blocks nerve impulses that keep muscles from contracting, but the relaxation of those muscles also triggers pain relief.

 3. Helps address bruxism

Similarly, patients suffering from teeth grinding, known as bruxism, may find relief with Botox injections. Whether you unconsciously grind your teeth at night or anxiety or stress links to your bruxism, Botox injections can relax your jaw muscles and reduce your jaw pain.

As with facial rejuvenation, while Botox injections relax the jaw muscles for patients suffering from bruxism, it won’t interfere with normal jaw functions, such as eating and speaking.

4. Relieves TMJ symptoms

One of the most unique joints in your body is the temporomandibular joint. You have two medical marvels that connect your lower jaw to the two major bones in your skull.

When your temporomandibular joints are in tip-top shape, they seamlessly and painlessly create complex hinge movements that open and close the jaw and sliding movements that enable you to chew, speak, yawn, and swallow. However, muscle spasms or contractions can disrupt the healthy function of the temporomandibular joint, causing pain.

For some TMJ patients, the culprits are teeth grinding or jaw clenching. If conventional treatments such as night guards or anti-inflammatory pain medications cannot relieve your TMJ symptoms, your provider may recommend Botox injections to relax the jaw muscles.

If you’d like to learn if Botox can make you look and feel your best, schedule a consultation with Duval Orthodontics today. Book your visit by calling our office in Warner Robins or Albany, Georgia, or requesting an appointment online.