News + Issues

Facelifts and dentistry

187935219Crows feet… wrinkles… frown lines… just thinking about these natural parts of aging gives me anxiety! Botox is probably one of the first remedies that comes to mind as a solution to the effects of aging. And if you think you’re alone in the stress of aging, you’re wrong! The demand for cosmetic procedures and surgery has skyrocketed in the past decade. According to a review by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, “Botox injections jumped 700 percent since 2000”. Wouldn’t it be great if patient acceptance of dental treatment jumped by those statistics?

But what does this have to do with dentistry? Botox may actually be a very successful treatment in decreasing muscle soreness, fatigue and headaches caused from teeth grinding. If this is the main reason for getting botox, checking out specialist clinics like Luxurgery could be something worth looking into, just so you can be on the right track to finally getting rid of your headaches or reducing muscle soreness. It has also been successful in alleviating several symptoms of Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorder. According to some estimates, over 10 million Americans are affected by TMJ disorders. Considering the overwhelming prevalence of TMD, dentists need more treatment options for their patients. Botox may be a new popular treatment alternative for relief of TMJ disorder symptoms as compared to more traditional treatments. (Note: delivery of Botox treatment is determined by your state dental board and therefore differs from state to state. If you’re interested in incorporating Botox into your practice, check that it’s allowed in your state first.)

At the University of Alberta School of Dental Medicine, training with Botox for dental treatments is already a part of the courses offered.

The school offers training about Neuromodulators and how substances like Botox, Xeomin, and Dysport can alter nerve impulse transmission. Many patients suffer from headaches or even migraines due to TMJ disorders. This treatment has helped patients with these symptoms. As more dental schools begin to realize the success of Botox, this treatment option can truly help many patients suffering from TMJ related symptoms.

Many people do not realize the diversity of the field of dentistry. Even to date, new applications are being discovered continuously. What used to be a treatment for the affects of aging is now being used for dental related problems. The solution to other dental conditions can be right under our noses… if we just look.

~Stephanie Mazariegos, LECOM ’16, District 5 trustee

Stephanie Mazariegos

Stephanie Mazariegos is a third year student and an inaugural class member of LECOM SODM. She loves living in Florida because she can spend her free time at the beach. She also enjoys traveling whenever she gets a chance and might have a slightly unhealthy addiction to Pintrest. She also is a huge Harry Potter fan and loves visiting the new expansion in Universal Studios on her free weekends!!!

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3 Comments

  1. That’s awesome news for a traditionally cosmetic product that receives a lot of flack in the luxury/celeb world. A lot of my pharmacy customers are dentists and dermatologists alike and I’ve noticed a lot of dentists buying more and more cosmetic products in addition to the usual orders for fusion bone binder, TAC 20 gel and more.

  2. I treat many patients with TMJ, and that news is very interesting.I have read a few articles in relation to this and think it looks very promising.The FDA has not approved the use of this for this condition but its probably just a matter of time.

    i quote this from http://www.tmj.org

    Botox has been approved by the FDA for painful conditions potentially related to TMJ, such as cervical dystonia and migraine. Of note, Botox is not FDA-approved for use in TMJ disorders. When doctors offer this treatment to TMJ patients, patients should be aware that this is “off-label use” that is not approved by the FDA. The FDA has not evaluated the safety or efficacy of this powerful neurotoxin for TMJ pain treatment. Adding to the uncertainty about whether to pursue treatment of TMJ pain with Botox , clinical trials published so far have been small and have produce inconsistent findings.

  3. Thank you for providing this helpful information regarding the fact that botox can help reduce the occurrence of teeth grinding which is an important and unexpected benefit of getting botox treatment.

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