Botox and Dermal Fillers

Everyday it seems a new condition can be treated with this little protein. Botox is the number one cosmetic treatment in the United States. It literally stops your body from making certain wrinkles by stopping the movement that causes them in the first place. Dr. Guelpa has been offering Botox and Dermal Fillers for over 18 years and is proud to be part of Allergan's Brilliant Distinctions Program, which is only available to certain high volume offices. If not already a member, make sure to ask about joining when you have your treatment. You can obtain money saving coupons for future use on Allergan products like Botox and Juvederm.

Q: WHAT IS BOTOX?

A: Botox is a trade name for botulinum toxin, which comes in the form of a purified protein. The mechanism of action for Botox is really quite simple. Botox is injected into the facial muscles but really doesn’t affect the muscle at all. Botulinum toxin affects and blocks the transmitters between the motor nerves that innervate the muscle. There is no loss of sensory feeling in the muscles. Once the motor nerve endings are interrupted, the muscle cannot contract. Botox is a muscle relaxer. When that muscle does not contract, the dynamic motion that causes wrinkles in the skin will stop. The skin then starts to smooth out, and in approximately three to ten days after treatment, the skin above those muscles becomes nice and smooth. The effects of Botox last for approximately three to four months, at which time the patient needs retreatment. 

The areas that Botox is commonly used for smoothing of facial wrinkles are the forehead, between the eyes (glabellar region), and around the corners of the eyes (crow’s feet) and around the lips. Botox has important clinical uses as an adjunct in TMJ and bruxism cases, and for patients with chronic TMJ and facial pain. Botox is also used to complement esthetic dentistry cases, as a minimally invasive alternative to surgically treating high lip line cases, denture patients who have trouble adjusting to new dentures, lip augmentation, and has uses in orthodontic cases where retraining of the facial muscles is necessary.

Q: WHAT ARE DERMAL FILLERS?

A: Dermal fillers will volumize creases and folds in the face in areas that have lost fat and collagen as we age. After age 30, we all lose approximately 1% of hyaluronic acid from our bodies. Hyaluronic acid is the natural filler substance in your body. The face starts to lack volume and appears aged with deeper nasolabial folds, unaesthetic marionette lines, a deeper mentalis fold, the lips start to thin, and turning down the corners of the lips. Hyaluronic acid fillers such as Restylane and Juvederm are then injected extraorally right underneath these folds to replace the volume lost which creates a younger look in the face. Dermal fillers can be used for high lip line cases, asymmetrical lips around the mouth, lip augmentation, and completing cosmetic dentistry cases by creating a beautiful, young-looking frame around the teeth. The effect of dermal fillers typically last anywhere from 6 to 12 months at which point the procedure needs to be repeated. Both Botox and dermal fillers are procedures that take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. 

There is one huge advantage dentists have in delivering dermal fillers over any other healthcare professional. Most physicians and nurses use topical anesthetics and ice on the skin to numb the patient. Some actually learn how to give dental anesthesia but very few are proficient at it. As you may imagine, this will be a painful procedure when done this way. Indeed, this is the reason that many patients prefer dentists to deliver dermal fillers.