Many people are still surprised that certified dental clinics are able to provide Botox treatments. The botulinum toxin (Botox) is most often used to reduce facial lines and wrinkles, so it is not inconceivable to wonder why dentists would administer a treatment like this. Dentists are in fact among the most qualified and well suited medical professionals to provide Botox, for a number of different reasons.

Dentists are facial experts

Dentists know your face more intimately than any other health professional and many intricate and invasive procedures are completed by dentists in this sensitive area every day. Dentists are skilled at assessing the balance and overall esthetics of the face, and are therefore uniquely suited to administer Botox treatment. In order to be able to offer Botox, dentists have to complete the same training as medical doctors do, complimenting existing knowledge of the facial, oral and perioral areas. It is therefore a natural evolution for dentists to administer Botox.

"V Line" Facial Slimming

Botox can treat more than just wrinkles and facial lines

There are over 20 different medical conditions that Botox is used to treat, and the list is continually growing. One of the most important uses in dentistry is to relieve the effects of tooth grinding, such as muscle soreness, fatigue and headaches. Botox can also be used to help temporo-mandibular joint disorder (TMJ) as well as migraines associated with jaw pain. Back on the more cosmetic side of things, Botox can be injected into upper lip muscles to decrease the amount of gum shown and avoid the so-called ‘gummy smile.’ These procedures and a variety of others are undoubtedly dental services.

Dentists are exceptionally skilled with injections

The essential part of Botox treatment is the botulinum toxin being injecting directly into neuromuscular tissue. Injecting anesthetic is a vital, and frequent, part of a dentist’s livelihood. Dentists know how to make these injections comfortable, quick, and relatively painless for patients. Furthermore, most dentists have long injected in the same areas where Botox is administered, just inside the mouth rather than extraorally (outside). With this expect skill and knowledge, dentists are the ideal medical professionals to provide Botox services.

Here at Four Seasons Dental Care, we administer Botox therapy to help improve smiles, slim facial shapes and eliminate discomfort associated with teeth grinding. Dr David Huh has been providing Botox to his Vancouver clients since 2008. He is now one of the foremost providers of Botox in the Burnaby area and patients come for his expertise from all over the Lower Mainland.