Albertville, AL
Botox is a neurotoxin from the clostridium Botulinum bacteria (Botulinum toxin) which acts as a paralytic, causing targeted muscles to relax and blocking neurotransmitters from getting them to tighten again. Most people associate Botox injections with rejuvenating the appearance, and it is certainly effective at that. It can be used to remove forehead lines (by causing the muscles underneath to relax, which in turn straightens out the skin), jowls resulting from muscles pulling the skin down at the jawline, and crow’s feet around the eyes. It is perfectly safe, fast, and long-lasting, and even when it begins to wear off, the effects might linger: many wrinkles are caused by overuse of facial muscles, and by paralyzing them for a time, it might prevent wrinkles from returning.
Botox can also have a variety of other uses. While trials are now being conducted for its use in correcting abnormal heartbeat and depression, these are still in the early stages. Other applications have had proven results. These include treatment of Bell’s Palsy (by relaxing the muscles on the paralyzed side), urinary incontinence from an overactive bladder, muscle spasms, migraine headaches (for unknown reasons but nevertheless with demonstrable results), and even oily skin. Botox can also help with excessive sweating, by blocking the nerves that reach the sweat glands.
As interesting as all of these uses may be, there are three other important ones that may be somewhat surprising. What are these?
Strabismus and other eye problems
The very first use of Botox to gain FDA approval was for uncontrolled eye spasms. As might be guessed, it works by relaxing the muscle whose overstimulation causes twitching.
In a related manner, Botox was also approved to treat strabismus. Strabismus (from the Greek word “strabismus”, meaning “squinting”) is a term for a category of conditions in which the eyes do not properly align, which includes esotropia or crossed eyes, where one or both of the eyes turn inward, and exotropia, where one or both eyes turn outward. Botox helps relax the overactive ocular muscles so both eyes can focus properly, and it is safe for children as young as 12.
Botox for the smile
It has long been known that Botox can have a rejuvenating effect on the smile. Typically, this is by means of injecting both corners of the mouth, so that the muscles which naturally pull the mouth downward are relaxed, giving it a more pleasant, younger look.
Botox can also help with a smile that shows an excessive amount of gums. Essentially, this is caused by the muscles which contract and lift during a smile being a little too well-developed. Botox relaxes these muscles, allowing the smile to reveal only the teeth.
Sometimes a smile can be a little lopsided for various reasons. Botox can cause the muscle that is over-engaged to relax, bringing symmetry to the smile.
Bruxism
Bruxism is another term for tooth grinding. This can be painful for a variety of reasons: the grinding itself can hurt, it can wear the undersides of the teeth, and it can lead to headaches. It can also cause distress to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which connects the lower jaw to the skull. This is the joint that allows the mouth to open and close, and strain on it can make chewing, drinking, swallowing, speaking, singing, or even yawning painful.
Botox helps with bruxism by relaxing several of the jaw muscles, most notably the masseter muscle. This will, in and of itself, relieve some of the tension on the jaw and will also prevent overactivity of this muscle at night, which can cause the grinding to stop. Repeated injections will cause the muscle to lose its strength and allow the brain to teach itself not to overuse the muscle.
Getting Botox
Whether wanting to tighten wrinkles or laugh lines, control excessive sweating, have proper eye alignment, or enjoy a more pleasant, less gummy smile, Botox can provide excellent results. For those in the Albertville area, Wall Street Dentistry offers Botox injections. For more information, call (256)-400-2783 or contact us online.