Botox is commonly used cosmetically for smoothing of facial wrinkles on the forehead, between the eyes (glabellar region), around the corners of the eyes (crow’s feet), around the lips, and on the neck (bleed lines). Dermal fillers and injectables reduce the visible signs of aging such as droopy or sagging skin, fold lines and creases, disappearing fat, jowls or dropping of lower cheeks, and double chin or “turkey neck.”
Botox also has important clinical uses as well as an adjunct in temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) and bruxism, even more so for patients with chronic TMJ and facial pain. Botox is a muscle relaxer, and when given in half the dose of a cosmetic treatment, it can greatly reduce the intensity of muscle contractions and give patients significant relief. Botox is used to complement esthetic dentristy cases, such as in the treatment of high lip line cases, lip augmentation, patient adjustment to wearing removable prosthetics (dentures) and in orthodontic cases where retraining of the facial muscles is necessary.