While dental care is the top priority of dentists, as medical professionals they are often licensed to provide other treatments which can be complimentary and rejuvenating plus may help alleviate some painful conditions. Wrinkles around the eyes and forehead and your smile and mouth, while not affecting your health, can affect how the age of your face is perceived.
Over the last ten years or so, dentists, including Dr John Christensen, have incorporated botox and fillers into dental practice. They are way to manage the look and feel of patient’s a face by treating various areas including wrinkles, gummy smiles and even pain in the jaw joints.
Wrinkles Around Mouth & Lips
You are using your mouth very moment of the day. Between talking, eating and laughing, your mouth is getting a constant workout. As a result of constant activity the skin, lips and structures around the mouth are very prone to signs of ageing.
Prominent signs of ageing around the mouth include:
- Laughter Lines
- Chin creasing
- Thin or wrinkled lips
- Wrinkles between the nose and the corner of your mouth
- Smoker's lines (wrinkles running upwards from the mouth)
- Staining on the teeth
People may to be told that they look sad or tired or grumpy when this is not really the case. When your dentist looks at your smile, they are not just looking at your teeth. They are also taking into account all the factors which can make a smile look natural and youthful.
Dental Botox & Fillers
There are two main options that your dentist may employ to help decrease the appearance of ageing around the mouth.
- Botox (Botulinum toxin) - this is a natural poison. When it it injected under the skin in very small doses, it is known to paralyse facial muscles that could contribute to lines and wrinkles.
- Dermal Fillers (Hyaluronic acid) – this a naturally occurring substance in the body and mainly forms the structure of eyes, joints and skin. Injections of hyaluronic acid may act to smooth wrinkles or folds in the skin by plumping and giving the skin volume.
For cosmetic only Botox treatments Metral Dental Clinic offers Party discounts. Call us at (250) 390-1494 for more information.
Six Conditions That Dental Cosmetic Treatment May Help
These cosmetic procedures should be considered after consulted with your dental practitioners in order to assess whether you’re a suitable candidate.
(1) Gummy Smile
This is defined as where it is perceived that too much gum area between the teeth and upper lip is visible when smiling. This occurs due to lips elevating too far during the muscle contractions of a smile. Your dentist may use botox injections just above the lips which may help to prevent over-elevation of the lip and therefor decrease the visibility of gums during smiling.
(2) Thin Lips While Smiling
Your lips are an important element of a youthful feeling, attractive smile. An over contraction of facial muscles may cause the appearance of thin lips while smiling. Botox treatment can help to prevent lip to create a fuller appearance during smiling.
(3) Asymmetrical Smile
A mouth that appears off-centre during smiling may be due to an imbalance between the left and right facial tensions on the lips.
Botox can be an effective way to correct off centre lips for a more even and aesthetic smile.
(4) Lines & Wrinkles
Fine lines around the mouth may present in various ways. This can include smile lines, lines between mouth and nose, vertical smoker’s lines and also chin creases. Each of these can contribute to an elderly appearance of the mouth. Botox and fillers may both be options to help soften lines and prevent then from getting worse.
(5) Receding Gums
Healthy and youthful appearing gums should look plump and pink. Gum recession which can occur from conditions such as gum disease, toothbrush abrasion, or dark triangles resulting from dental restorations may be able to be corrected with dermal fillers.
(6) Temporomandibular (TMD) Dysfunction & Night Grinding
Botox injections may also be useful to help limit the muscle contractions that occur in the jaw joint dysfunction (TMD) often associated with night clenching. In people who are particular night bruxers, a reduction of intensity in muscle contraction can be an effective way to allow joint to relax and prevent damage to teeth and the headaches which often occur as a result.
Warnings & Care Regarding Dental Botox & Fillers
Before commencing any treatment your dentist will ensure that you discuss all the options to ensure that it is the right treatment for you. Both botox and dermal fillers are temporary and usually need to be re-applied three to six months after the first treatment in order to maintain the effect.
It is not recommended that women who are pregnant or lactating undergo botox or dermal filler treatment
