Noticeable results, no surgery, and no recovery time – discover the benefits of Botox® at our practice. There are many different reasons that patients choose to receive Botox treatment. BOTOX has useful clinical uses as an adjunct in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and bruxism cases, even more so for patients with chronic TMJ and facial pain. BOTOX is a muscle relaxer that can greatly reduce the intensity of the muscle contractions that contribute to TMJ and facial pain and give the patient significant relief.
Dentists are uniquely suited for providing Botox treatment. Dentists are skilled at assessing the balance and overall esthetics of the face. Dr Stéphanie Malette has had extensive training in the anatomy of the head and neck and every day she injects cranial nerves in sensitive areas of the head. Her technical skills have been finely honed. She has taken in-depth training that equips her to provide intricate procedures such as sinus lifts, implant placement, complex endodontic treatment. Dr.Malette has taken extensive training in order to maximize the therapeutic results of BOTOX®
Dentists in Ontario are now able to administer BOTOX® for therapeutic purposes.
A Closer Look at Botox
There are many misconceptions about Botox. First of all, Botox is not a poison, but a protein created by bacteria. There is no live bacteria in Botox. It works by reducing muscle activity. Secondly, this action is not permanent, but typically lasts three to four months, at which time the patient may elect to retreat with Botox.
Headache and Migraine treatment
TMJ disorder and other types of bite abnormalities can directly contribute to chronic headache pain by triggering chronic spasm in the muscles throughout the face, head, and neck. Treatment with botox A is not a “cure” for these types of headaches, but it can provide significant relief while other longer-term treatments are being pursued.
Not every patient with chronic headaches related to these types of bite disorders will find relief with the use of botulinum A. In most individuals, a single treatment will last only 3 to 5 months, and multiple treatments can be expensive over time. However, one or two treatments may offer a period of significant relief enabling a patient to work on other lifestyle factors and medical conditions that may also be contributing to their headache pain.
Almost all headache pain is caused by multiple factors and lifestyle triggers. Continuing a regimen of self-care and exploration of all possible headache causes during treatment with botulinum A is essential to the ultimate goal of reducing or eliminating headache pain for good.
Severe clenching and grinding
Our teeth were not designed to be pressed and ground together for hours at a time. In fact, the average amount of time our chewing muscles should be firing for normal eating and swallowing purposes during a 24-hour period is only about 5 to 7 minutes total. However, due to stress, habit, and other neurological factors still not completely understood, many people clench and grind their teeth almost incessantly – especially during sleep.
Unlike regular chewing, which distributes about 80 PSI of pressure on the teeth, clenching and grinding can increase that pressure to up to 800 PSI. We don’t know why this pressure increases so dramatically, but we do know that over time it will destroy natural teeth and all types of dental restorations.
Mouthguards and nightguards can be very effective in protecting the teeth against clenching and grinding damage when worn during sleep or other activities that trigger the habit. But these guards do not stop the clenching and grinding from happening in the first place.
Treating severe bruxism with Botox helps limit the over-function of the muscles responsible for chewing. The treated muscles typically display a partial reduction in over-function within 2-3 days with maximal reduction 1-2 weeks after treatment. You can still chew normally, but the amount of pressure you can exert during clenching and grinding is significantly reduced.
Lip and chin smile enhancements
By targeting specific muscles around the mouth , gummy smiles, lip lines and creases, puckered chins, and upside-down smiles can all appear to disappear. Each type of treatment limits the excessive muscle function that contributes to the condition so that an upper lip can no longer over-retract, the corners of the mouth can turn up instead of down, and the chin muscle is relaxed instead of puckered.
These treatments, like all the others, will only last a period of 3 to 5 months before the muscles will begin to return to their previous function. However, breaking the cycle of habitual muscle function can retrain those muscles to function differently over time in some patients. For those individuals with extreme examples of these conditions, regular treatment with botulinum A can offer a renewed sense self-esteem and confidence, and may be worth the long-term maintenance.