We hear Botox and immediately remember beautiful movie stars with flawless skins and amazing smiles. Well, they have to look nice, it’s their job but why just them and moreover why is Botox considered best only for celebrities?

Botox is more than a cosmetic job, let us burst some bubbles against dental Botox treatments. 

Yes, Botox is not just used for preventing wrinkles anymore but is also used in dental treatments by skilled oral and maxillofacial surgeons. 

So what exactly is Botox? It is a neurotoxin derived from a bacteria called clostridium botulinum. If it is a toxin how is it helpful one might ask? Botox is given with a planned intention to relax a particular area (muscle) with very controlled doses.

Since using Botox is very less invasive compared to surgeries there are a number of dental treatments that use Botox to manage muscle-generated diseases or conditions, like jaw joint disorder (TMD), teeth grinding, clenching, chewing muscle disorder, etc. 

Then there is the cosmetic part of dentistry which uses Botox for correction like deep laugh lines, smokers lips, black triangles between teeth and high lip lines causing gummy smiles. 

So why is the use of Botox such a NO-NO for us? Having learnt that only celebrities get these treatments done there ought to be some myths flying about, let's look at a few of them:

• Botox will not freeze your face rather relax the muscles and you will see no difference in your expressions. 
• Botox is more than just a lip filler or wrinkle remover. There are many additional medical uses in dentistry and more.
• Dentists are already experts in way more difficult tasks than giving an injection, also special injections are used for botox injections which only feels like pinches, it is not unbearably painful.
• It is not toxic, if it were, why would the FDA approve the drug to be used on humans, it will take more than 100X of the doses required for it to be toxic. 

Yes, there could be some side effects of Botox, as there are for other drugs. One must be informed of every chance, advantage and side effect by a competent, experienced dentist. 

At MyDentalPlan - India’s largest dental network, find the best dentist with extensive experience and standardised quality service, near you. Visit www.mydentalplan.in to get customised dental plans with treatment cost financing options available at your fingertips.