Botox In Dentistry – The Next Big Thing?

<p>When you think about Botox chances are good you think about a Gen-Xer having it done to maintain their youthful appearance. You wouldn&rsquo;t be wrong &ndash; Botox is by far the most popular cosmetic procedure out there with the&nbsp;American Society of Plastic Surgeons&nbsp;reporting over 7.4 million injections given in 2018.</p> <p>And now dentists are getting in on the action. Have you heard about this trend of Botox in dentistry? It just might be the next big thing!</p> <h2><strong>What is Botox?</strong></h2> <p>According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://medlineplus.gov/botox.html">U.S. National Library of Medicine</a>, Botox is a drug made from a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. While it&rsquo;s the same toxin that causes a life-threatening type of food poisoning called botulism, its use as an injectable paralytic has been FDA approved for cosmetic procedures and more. In fact, it&rsquo;s now commonly used in small doses to treat a variety of health problems including excessive sweating, excessive blinking, overactive bladder and even migraines.</p> <p>Botox works by blocking nerve signals that control muscle movement, which makes them unable to contract, temporarily softening the skin around the area that was injected. It typically takes a few hours for results to be seen and they usually last about three months.</p>