Botox Injections In The Dental Office

Botox (also called botulinum toxin injections) is an FDA approved liquid neurotoxin injected directly into the muscle to treat frown lines, smile and squint lines, crow’s feet, nasal crunch lines, and horizontal forehead wrinkles. By relaxing the muscles of the face, these lines become less obvious. We are creating a more youthful, vibrant appearance.

Botox treatment is a cosmetic injectable that has been used to treat patients worldwide for medical and cosmetic reasons.

Botox is injected into the muscles of the face. The liquid is absorbed into the muscles near the injection site. Within two weeks it creates a temporary localized paralysis that lasts approximately 3 months.

BOTOX Treatment in Las Vegas NV is most frequently used for:

• Gummy smiles
• Severe Frown Lines
• Crow’s Feet (lines around the eyes)
• Jaw Clenching
• Horizontal forehead lines
• Dynamic wrinkles
• Square Face
• Chronic migraine symptoms
• Treat Excessive underarm sweating
• Severe Forehead Lines
• Neck Pain
• Realaxing “Peach Pit” chin
• Nasal scrunch or squint lines
• Lines on the neck

Generally, it is used in small amounts in the lines around the mouth. This helps to relax the vertical lines around the lips. Dermal fillers can be used in those areas as well to remove unwanted facial wrinkles.

The effects of Botox treatment generally last three months. Clinical trials have shown that pregnant women, people with autoimmune diseases, bruise easily, and those with muscle or nerve conditions are not good candidates for botox cosmetic application. It is important to fully inform your dentist of all your medical conditions and all medicines you are taking.

How does Botox Cosmetic In Las Vegas Work?

• BOTOX Cosmetic works thru selective muscle denervation. Usually, when a muscle contracts, a nerve signals to the muscle. The junction where the nerve and the muscle come together is called the neuromuscular junction. When the signal gets to this neuromuscular junction, a chemical called acetylcholine is released from the nerve side. Acetylcholine then binds to the muscle, causing more chemical reactions that make the muscle contract.
• BOTOX Cosmetic acts by blocking the receptors for acetylcholine on the muscle side of the junction. When the nerve signals the muscle to contract, acetylcholine cannot bind anywhere on the muscle. The muscle now has no idea it is supposed to contract. The muscle is essentially weakened or paralyzed, but not due to damage.
• This acetylcholine block begins approximately 48 hours following the application of cosmetic injectable botox. The clinical effects of injectable BOTOX become noticeable somewhere around 5-10 days. Over the following 3-5 months, the muscle gradually develops new receptor sites and begins to contract again. The wrinkle-smoothing effects of BOTOX Cosmetic are therefore temporary, but maintaining BOTOX cosmetic injections regularly to weaken muscles that cause dynamic wrinkles. Over time this regular intervention can prevent the formation of static wrinkles. Static wrinkles are creases that become harder to treat.

Can any dentist inject Botox in Las Vegas NV?

No. A dentist must be appropriately qualified and certified. Marielaina Perrone DDS is certified by the American Academy Of Facial Esthetics (AAFE) to administer Botox Cosmetic. As part of regular dental school education, dentists go through extensive training around facial anatomy, which puts them in a unique position to administer Botox.

It’s essential that you only work with properly qualified dentists who are qualified and certified to administer Botox cosmetic to ensure that you do not suffer any avoidable complications due to incorrect botox cosmetic use and administration, such as drooping eyelids and muscle weakness.

Botox is an excellent tool to avoid cosmetic surgery. For some patients cosmetic injectable botox treatment is a good alternative to cosmetic surgery.

How To Prepare Before Cosmetic Injections?

Botox cosmetic comes from the manufacturer as a crystalline substance, which has to be reconstituted with saline. Your dentist will add varying amounts of liquid when reconstituting it. Although there is no right or wrong amount of liquid to add, most botox injectors add about 1.25 ml per 50 unit vial of botox is the standard.

Some botox injectors will add quite a bit more. This added dilution can lead patients to think they are getting more Botox when they get the same or less amount of Botox. The total dose of botox, not the volume of liquid, leads to the desired cosmetic effects.

Therefore, it is vital to choose your botox injector wisely. Some provide Botox at a specific dollar amount per unit, but they may dilute the Botox, thus not providing the agreed-upon amount. This dilution is like going to a concert and receiving a watered-down drink, but the costs are much higher for Botox cosmetic.

What Happens During the Cosmetic Injections Procedure?

The patient is placed in a somewhat raised position in the dental chair, and the injection sites are cleansed with a makeup remover wipe and a sterile alcohol pad. Dr. Perrone will apply a topical anesthetic to the proposed injection sites called Comfortox BLT (contains benzocaine, lidocaine, tetracaine). The Botox injections are applied to the desired areas (for example to treat frown lines).

Typical Botox application patterns include about five botox injections between and above the eyebrow area and then another eight botox injections across the forehead, along with four botox injections on the sides of the eyes. Dr. Perrone can inject more sites, depending on the type of wrinkles and the desired effect for the patient.

Dr. Perrone will commonly apply botox to the masseter muscles to relieve clenching, TMJ pain and narrow the face. It is pretty common for pressure to be applied if an area seems to be bleeding after the botox injection.

Immediately following the application of botox, we apply arnica gel. This gel will help prevent bruising and swelling following application. Patients are instructed to do the following after treatment:

• Do not work out or do anything that will cause them to sweat
• Stay out of direct sunlight
• No showering that evening
• Gentle ice on the face
• No manipulation of the face to move the Botox application
• No laying on face for the evening

What Happens Following the Botox Injections?

After the botox injections, the patient will usually lay upright or semi-upright in the dental chair for about two to five minutes. This is to ensure the patient feels good after the application of botox. Important for the patient to avoid taking over the counter medicines like aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen before or after the botox procedure. Taking any of these medicines can lead to increased risk of bruising.

Next Steps on Botox

Botox injection results will be evident within three to seven days, with full effect in 2 weeks. You can take photographs before the procedure. This will allow patients to check their muscle contraction results themselves rather than relying on memory.

Before having the botox injections done, the patient must realize that Botox does not erase wrinkle lines but relax them. This means for the patient that deeper lines will become somewhat less deep, and superficial lines will virtually disappear.

It may be beneficial for the patient to have an additional cosmetic procedure, such as dermal filler substances (Juvederm dermal fillers) to flatten out the deep crevices that are now relaxed. Dr. Perrone recommends waiting two weeks following Botox application before having dermal fillers applied.

This will give you time to evaluate areas that need additional help for optimal results. The crease area between the eyes and around the lips is ideal for Botox use in conjunction with Volbella dermal filler as these fixed wrinkles do not always respond to Botox alone.

Side Effects of Botox In Las Vegas NV

Side effects of Botox treatments include:

• bruising
• eyebrow or eyelid droops or lift
• a temporary headache
• skin infection
• allergic reaction
• uneven facial expression
• rare flu-like symptoms.
• Many of the side effects for Botox are seen when:
• injected by an unskilled practitioner
• injections sites not cleaned properly

Even though they are rare if you have any serious symptoms, contact your dentist as soon as possible.

Botox Conclusion

With Botox treatments, there are good cosmetic effects and possibly unappealing side effects. When botox is applied correctly, your dentist should customize it for each person’s face. The practitioner must consider the facial muscles used the most, a person’s job, facial features, and personal desires and preferences.

“Great Botox” requires training, experience, steady hands, listening to and acknowledging patient’s needs, the eye of an artist, and the innate ability to understand proper facial balance.

The bottom line is, Botox treatment is not a cookie-cutter one size fits all procedure. The right botox injector can create a marvelously natural look that makes you more refreshed and relaxed looking. In my opinion, the ultimate Botox application is minimal or reduced wrinkles, but with maximum facial expressions!