Botox

Botox® is a popular injectable treatment that can enhance your smile and relieve chronic jaw pain. At Seattle Crown Hill Dental in Seattle, Washington, the team offers this minimally invasive treatment to augment high lip lines, minimize the appearance of wrinkles, help with bruxism, and more. Call the office or schedule an appointment online today to find out if Botox is right for you.

What is Botox?

Botox is a neuromodulator that temporarily paralyzes the muscles in which it’s injected. The injectable interferes with the nerves that cause muscle contractions to prevent movement. While Botox primarily treats unwanted wrinkles, it has both cosmetic and medical uses to improve your appearance, restore facial symmetry, and relieve pain.

What are the uses of Botox in dentistry?

The experienced dental team uses Botox for many indications, including:

Wrinkle reduction

Dentists have extensive training in evaluating your facial structure and skin elasticity. Your Seattle Crown Hill Dental provider can enhance your smile by reducing marionette lines, frown lines, forehead lines, and other stubborn wrinkles.

Gummy smile treatment

A gummy smile occurs when your teeth appear short because your gum tissue is too long. Botox relaxes the muscles around your mouth to prevent your lips from lifting above your gums when you smile.

Lip enhancement

Botox relaxes vertical lip lines to smooth the skin above your smile for a more youthful appearance.

Lip flip

A botox lip flip targets the muscles that control the cupid’s bow and corners of the mouth to relax the upper lips, creating a plumper, more defined pout. 

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder treatment

The temporomandibular joints sit on each side of your jaw. These sliding-hinge joints allow you to chew and speak comfortably. Stress on these joints can lead to pain, discomfort, and difficulty opening and closing your mouth. If your TMJ stems from muscular pressure in the masseter muscles that support your temporomandibular joints, Botox can help relieve your pain.

Bruxism

Botox can also help minimize tooth erosion and jaw pain from bruxism, or teeth grinding. If you gnash your teeth together during times of stress or when you sleep, Botox can relax your facial muscles and relieve your discomfort.

After a full facial assessment, your dentist can recommend the appropriate areas for Botox injections.

What can I expect from Botox injections?

Botox takes only a few minutes to inject. While you can expect minor swelling and redness at the injection sites, these side effects should subside quickly. Botox works quickly and typically takes effect within 3-7 days. Results wear off gradually over the next 3-6 months. As a minimally invasive treatment, you can return for Botox injections 2-3 times a year.

Call Seattle Crown Hill Dental or schedule an appointment online today to learn more about Botox.