Many people have heard of Botox treatment to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in the face. But you might not know that this aesthetic treatment can have dental benefits too. These injections contain medicine that briefly paralyzes specific muscles in the face, treating the appearance of the face but also releasing tension that could otherwise hurt your smile.
Your dentist is an expert in your teeth as well as the surrounding muscles in the face. So you can trust your dental professional to know how Botox will best enhance your unique smile. Read on to learn about the advantages that Botox treatment can offer to the look and health of your smile.
How Does Botox Help My Smile?
Relieve TMJ Symptoms
When muscles in the jaw endure chronic tension, they can tighten and become sore, resulting in temporomandibular joint disorders or TMJ. This condition in the jaw will require intervention from your dentist to treat and will worsen over time, impacting the function of your jaw.
A Botox injection will relax tense muscles, stopping tension from causing pain and tightness in the jaw. This will get rid of chronic pain in the jaw as well as frequent headaches and earaches that may stem from radiating tension.
Many patients find that Botox will reduce their discomfort when receiving new oral appliances like dentures. They can avoid jaw pain and other issues as they adjust to the new devices. This way, this preventative measure can improve your compliance to new dental treatments.
You can also find relief from teeth grinding and clenching behaviors that may occur due to tense jaw muscles. This will protect your teeth from grating that may wear down your enamel and dental work. You can therefore prevent dental emergencies with this dental treatment.
Botox treatments usually wear off after six months. But this acute treatment can help you shape long-term therapies that will stave off TMJ. Learn more by consulting with your dentist.
Enhance the Appearance of Your Smile
Botox is known for its aesthetic advantages, improving the look of skin by erasing wrinkles. You can also enhance the appearance of your smile with Botox treatment from your dentist.
Some people have a high lip line, meaning a large amount of the gums is exposed when they smile. They might feel self-conscious about the way this makes their smile appear. Botox can target the top lip so that the lip stays lower when the patient smiles. This makes the smile look less gummy, highlighting your beautiful teeth.
Botox can also preserve the way that your smile looks. This treatment can stop fine lines from forming around the lips and making you appear older.
Discuss your aesthetic concerns and long-term dental goals with your dentist to learn if this cosmetic treatment can help your unique smile. Though this is not a permanent treatment, you can see a vast improvement in the look of your smile with Botox.