Botox and Dermal Fillers A Botox injection is a cosmetic procedure that serves to remove wrinkles and lines on the neck and face. The injection utilizes a neurotoxin called botulinum toxin which causes muscles to relax, smoothing out any wrinkles and lines. We also use Botox injections to enhance the appearance of frown lines, forehead furrows, crow’s feet, and skin bands on the neck. Botox treatments are temporary, however, and will need to be repeated approximately every three to four months.Who is a Good Candidate for Botox Treatment?Many people think about Botox treatment if they have undesirable lines or wrinkles on their face and neck. However, this particular treatment isn’t the right choice for everyone. A good candidate for Botox must have good overall health and reasonable improvement goals. They should also have moderate to severe wrinkles located in areas where Botox can treat them, such as around the neck, on the forehead or between the eyes. They should also have reached the age of 18. Who is NOT a Good Candidate for Botox Treatment?Some individuals are not good candidates for Botox treatment. This includes women who are pregnant or nursing, as well as those with allergic reactions to Botox or other products containing botulinum toxins. Individuals who have deep scars or thick skin on the face, drooping eyelids, or marked facial asymmetry also should not seek this treatment. People with severe infections or illnesses, skin infections, or weakened muscles near the proposed injection spot, or nerve or muscle conditions like myasthenia gravis amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are not good candidates, either. What is the Procedure for Botox Injections?The procedure for Botox is short and generally only takes 15 minutes or less. Dr. Raptou might use an anesthetic cream or ice pack to numb the planned injection spots. Botox will be injected into the muscles that cause wrinkles and lines using a very small needle. The severity of the wrinkles and their location on your face will determine how many injections you will receive. What is the Recovery Period Like?After receiving a Botox treatment, there is no recovery period. You are free to return to your everyday activities right after the appointment is over. However, do not rub the spots that received the injections. Doing so can spread the botulinum toxin to other parts of the face, resulting temporarily in facial weakness or sagging. You might also experience some slight bruises at the area of the injections. Patients usually experience the results of Botox after a matter of days, but others must wait for up to a week to see the fruits of the treatment. If you wish to maintain the results, you will need future injections. The duration of Botox injections is normally three to four months. Additional Treatment OptionsThere are alternative treatment options to treat facial and neck wrinkles that are either more or less invasive than Botox. Examples of treatments that are more invasive are neck lifts, facelifts, and brow lifts. Microdermabrasion and chemical peels are among the less invasive treatments. We also offer dermal fillers, which help soften facial wrinkles and lines. Additional Uses for BotoxIn addition to Botox being utilized for cosmetic procedures, such as removing wrinkles and fine lines, there are several other purposes and benefits in which Botox is used. At Raptou Family Dental, we stay up-to-date with the latest technology and techniques to ensure you receive optimal dental care. TMJThe temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, is a complex system of muscles, ligaments, bones, and disks. It acts like a sliding hinge that allows us to move our jaw forward, backward, and side-to-side. In other words, the TMJ is responsible for our ability to chew, speak, smile, and yawn. In recent years, a new treatment involving Botox injections has become a popular choice for patients with TMJ disorders, or TMD. If you suffer from problems associated with your TMJ, you too could benefit from this safe and effective procedure. Excessive Underarm SweatingHyperhidrosis (also known as excessive underarm sweating) is another condition that Botox can relieve. When utilized to treat this disorder, Botox can block the chemical that causes our sweat glands to activate. Botox treatments for excessive sweating are so efficacious that they take effect almost immediately, so the patient won’t need to return for another treatment for seven to 16 months. Botox has time-tested benefits in treating this disorder, and it hardly gives off any side effects. However, to treat excessive sweating, we must first diagnose that you have it and not merely a common form of sweating. Excessive sweating is a disorder that most over-the-counter products, including extra-strength antiperspirants, cannot fix. If your sweating interferes with your work and social life and the products you have tried do not affect or help you, you likely have excessive underarm sweating and should consider Botox as a treatment. IncontinenceFrequently having to get up to use the restroom and constant leaks reduce the quality of life for many women who have incontinence or an overactive bladder. Testing has found Botox is a better and more successful treatment than implanted nerve stimulation devices such as InterStim. When compared in a study, Botox reduced on average four incontinent episodes per day, while InterStim only reduced three. During the treatment procedure, we inject the neurotoxin into the bladder, and it will directly relax the overactive muscles. This Botox injection allows an overactive bladder to desensitize and retrains it to control its urinary output. Crossed EyesPeople with strabismus (crossed eyes) will also enjoy the benefits of Botox. Interestingly enough, medical experts originally developed Botox to treat this condition. For this procedure, Dr. Raptou will use numbing eye drops and then inject a special needle directly into the eye muscle. Also, Botox can improve chronic eyelid spasms. There are six muscles in each eye, with two of them pulling in opposite directions to move the eye laterally. Even one muscle weakening can pull the eye out of position, producing lazy eye. Botox has seen incredible advancements and applications since its first test over 40 years ago, and the developments continue. Botox is now also used to treat migraine headaches. If you are interested in receiving a Botox treatment for any of its many uses, schedule a consultation with our dentist, Dr. Raptou, and we will work together with you to determine which method of treatment will work best for you. For more information, please contact our office at (614) 427-0449. |
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