【Announcement】We are now a "Certified Dentist" of the Japan Dental Botulinum Association! About Botox treatment at the dentist
Hello from Halulu Shibuya Dental Clinic! Thank you as always for visiting our clinic.
Today we have some happy news to share with you. Our director, Dr. Shiho, has become a certified dentist of the Japan Dental Botulinum Association!
He obtained this certification because he wants to offer our patients treatment that is safer and backed by reliable skill. To mark the occasion, we'd like to explain in detail "Botox (botulinum) treatment at the dentist," which many patients have been asking us about recently, and why our clinic puts so much effort into it.
*"Botox" is the product name of an Allergan preparation, and the correct term is "botulinum preparation," but to keep things easy to understand we will write "Botox" here.
What is "Botox treatment at the dentist" in the first place?
When you hear "Botox," many of you may picture wrinkle treatment at a cosmetic clinic. You may be wondering, "Why Botox at the dentist?" Even when we talked with a medical doctor we partner with, we were asked, "What do dentists use Botox for?" so it may still not be very well known.
Botox treatment at the dentist is not for cosmetic purposes; its aim is to "ease excessive muscle tension and improve problems in the mouth." By injecting "botulinum toxin," a natural protein, into the muscles around the jaw (mainly the chewing muscle called the "masseter"), it relaxes the force you apply without realizing it. This can ease a variety of problems around the mouth.
What concerns does it help with?
Specifically, it is a very effective treatment for people troubled by symptoms like the following.
- Relief from teeth grinding and clenching
Do you wake up with a tired jaw, or has a family member ever told you that you grind your teeth? By loosening the tension in the chewing muscles, it dramatically reduces the strain on your teeth and jaw. It can also help prevent tooth wear, as well as deterioration, fracture and loosening of fillings and crowns.
- Improving TMJ disorder (temporomandibular joint disorder)
It eases TMJ disorder symptoms such as "I can't open my mouth wide" or "my jaw clicks or hurts when I move it," and makes movement around the mouth smoother.
- Improving a gummy smile
When a lot of gum shows when you smile, this is called a "gummy smile." One of the causes is that the muscle that lifts the upper lip is too strong. By relaxing this muscle, you can achieve a natural, beautiful smile.
- Lifting the corners of the mouth for a better impression
By relaxing a muscle called the "depressor anguli oris," the corners of your mouth lift more easily and your face looks brighter. - Reducing chronic stiff shoulders and headaches
Strong clenching without realizing it can make even the muscles of the neck and shoulders tense. By loosening the jaw muscles, which are the root cause, quite a few people find that their long-standing stiff shoulders and headaches improve and they feel refreshed.
Why Halulu Shibuya Dental Clinic offers Botox
There is a clear reason why our clinic actively recommends Botox treatment to you: "to protect your precious teeth at the root, for a long time."
Even after thorough treatment of cavities and gum disease, and even after placing beautiful ceramic crowns, a habit of "grinding" or "clenching" can sometimes ruin everything. It is said that clenching during sleep puts as much as several times your own body weight of force on your teeth.
When this intense force continues every night, it can lead to serious problems: teeth chipping, crowns cracking, and even cracks in the tooth root that make "extraction" unavoidable.
Until now, the usual way to prevent these problems has been to "wear a mouthguard (night guard) while sleeping." Of course, mouthguards are also an important treatment, but they are meant to "prevent the teeth from physically wearing down," and they cannot "weaken the biting force itself."
That is where Botox treatment shows its strength.
Botox works directly on "excessive muscle force," the root cause of these problems, and gently controls the biting force you apply without realizing it. We want to protect the health of your whole mouth over the long term by caring for the cause itself rather than just treating the symptoms. That is the biggest reason we consider Botox treatment essential.
Frequently asked questions (Q&A)
Here are some questions we often receive from patients about Botox treatment.
- Does the injection hurt?
We use an ultra-fine needle, so the pain is just a small prick. For people who are sensitive to pain, we can also use topical anesthetic and similar options, so please don't worry.
- How long does the effect last?
It varies from person to person, but generally the effect starts to appear a few days to about 1 week after the injection and lasts about 3 to 6 months. By having it regularly, the muscle itself gradually becomes smaller, and the effect tends to last longer.
- Are there side effects?
The injected area may temporarily feel heavy and tired, or you may find hard foods a little harder to chew, but you will naturally get used to it within a few weeks. Our certified dentist carefully determines the appropriate amount when performing the treatment.
- Will it make my face look smaller?
We do not perform the treatment with the direct aim of "making the face smaller," but as the masseter relaxes, the volume around the jaw angles may decrease, and as a result the face may become smaller.
Feel free to consult us about problems around your mouth
If anything concerns you, even a little, such as "Do I have a clenching habit?" or "My jaw never stops feeling tired," please consult Halulu Shibuya Dental Clinic anytime.
With this "Japan Dental Botulinum Association Certified Dentist" certification, we can now propose safe, reassuring, tailor-made treatment based on even more specialized knowledge than before.
Located in Shibuya, our clinic is easy to drop by while you are out or on your way home from work. As your partner in protecting your oral health and wonderful smile throughout your life, our whole team will continue to support you!