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Botox, Juvederm, Dermal Threads & TMJ

A Dentist Doing Botox and Dermal Injections?

I became interested in Botox when I learned that it was being used for TMJ and headache pain management.  A lot of jaw pain and headaches are from overuse, overexertion of the facial and jaw muscles. By injecting them with Botox, the strength of muscle is reduced and therefore the strain it puts on the jaw joint and the head and neck complex is lessened.  This equals less pain. Our first patient to receive Botox went almost four months without a headache or jaw pain after living with constant pain. She even stopped clenching despite her stressful work schedule.

We then continued our education and started injections to reduce wrinkles of the face, having great success.  Our patients love it, and who better to do injections than a dentist who gives more injections than any other.  We then started to include dermal fillers to lessen wrinkles and volumize the lips and face. Again patients were excited and we’ve seen great results.  Most of our patients want subtle but noticeable enhancements. Others want more. Whatever your desire, we can help you to a more beautiful you.

A newer cosmetic procedure we will be adding is called dermal threads.  These are basically resorbable sutures placed just under the skin. After they resorb they promote collagen formation. As we age, the collagen fibers that give our skin support and volume are lost.  The skin then sags and wrinkles and we lose our youthful look. The dermal threads restore the volume and the great thing is they can last up to two or three years. We are now placing dermal threads. Here is one of our cases:

Before and After using Derma Threads

Everyone is looking to rejuvenate their face or look younger. Derma threads are one of the non-surgical methods you can use.

Is Botox Safe?

In the doses given for cosmetic and TMJ cases, it has been proven very safe.  Over a 15 year span, less than 40 reactive cases were reported to the FDA. The biggest concern would be an allergic reaction, but that is still very rare.

We have been using these techniques and products in our office for many years.  It has helped so many people feel better. Whether it is for less wrinkles or relief from TMJ and headaches – It has brought joy to so many of our patients.  If you have any more questions feel free to contact us!

When it comes to giving injections, who better understands the muscles of the face and neck region than a Dentist?  Lets face it, Dr Richins, as a Dentist, gives more injections daily than any other profession.  In answer to the question “Botox in a dental office?”, what better place should it be done?

The following is a Blog posted by our office regarding Botox:

When you hear the word Botox what do you think of?  A procedure that many people use to try to stay young?  Well what if I told you that Botox can relieve pain.  We carry Botox in our dental office.  Why you might ask?  This is a question I am asked often, so let me give the answer here. Several years ago I went to an education course in Seattle on the subject of TMJ (Temporal Mandibular Joint) pain, head aches and sleep apnea. We discussed the contribution that the chewing muscles (masseters and temporalis) have on headaches and joint problems. Over use of these muscles through clenching and grinding can bring on the joint pain and even severe recurring head aches. Over the years many treatments have been developed and many are quite effective. These include de programmers, night guards, NTI’s, jaw repositioners and  many others. They also include injections directly in the jaw joint. The presenter at the course introduced Botox as a way to reduce headaches and joint pain.

Botox was initially used for facial aesthetics and does so by reducing, temporarily, the ability of the muscle to contract completely. You could say that they weaken the muscles at the site of injection. For cosmetics this means a reduction of those pesky wrinkles that show more and more as we age (I mean mature). So, what does that have to do with head aches? Well it turns out that if the muscles we grind and clench with are temporarily weakened, the headaches and joint pain can be reduced and even go away for several months. In fact the first patient we treated had no headaches for four months. This was someone who had pain almost daily. As far as the cosmetic side, who better understands the muscles of the face and neck region than a dentist? And, lets face it, as a dentist, I give more injections daily than any other profession. In answer to the question “Botox in a dental office?”, what better place?