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Why You Should Go to the Dentist for Your Botox Treatments | Ottawa Dentist

As we age, our facial features begin to wrinkle and sag – it’s the natural progression of life. Many of us try to delay the inevitable and visit their cosmetic surgeon for Botox and/or facial fillers. What many patients don’t know is that you can get this treatment done at the dentist. But why? There are a few reasons to reconsider who is doing your anti-aging treatments.

Firstly, the differences between Botox and facial fillers. Botox is a protein injected into your facial muscles to not affect the muscles themselves, but the nerves that move the muscles. Facial fillers are injections used to replace fat and collagen in the skin.

Dental issues. Believe it or not, Botox and facial fillers help with more than a youthful look. TMJ, teeth grinding (bruxism), and other facial pain can be eased by these types of injections. This is also a way to retrain facial muscles for patients adjusting to dentures or orthodontic treatments. So, while you may think getting these injections is a cosmetic issue, many patients benefit from these injections.

One stop shop. We go to the dentist to improve our smile, because we know they are experts in making our teeth whiter, straighter and healthier. It only seems natural that we seek their help with other issues that have presented themselves around our mouth and face. Because we need muscles to smile, these injections really benefit patients that have issues doing so.

Knowledge is power. While we know that cosmetic surgeons are the ones to go to for aesthetics, dental professionals have a deep, thorough knowledge of facial anatomy and can deliver a quicker, less painful experience, which is a relief for a patient in dental pain.

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Grinding Your Teeth May Be Giving You Wrinkles | Ottawa Dentist

We all can admit that a telltale sign of old age is wrinkles. It’s a fact of life and there is nothing we can do to reverse time. They appear in various areas on our face – one such area is the corners of our mouth. There is a muscle that attaches the corners of our mouth to the border of the lower jaw that motivates facial expression. Specifically, it allows us to frown. And if we frown a lot, we are likely to over-develop this muscle. The consequence is “jowl lines”, wrinkles from the corners of the mouth to the bottom of the lower jaw. 

Unfortunately, jowl lines don’t mean you’re a grumpy person. You can get jowl lines just from unconsciously clenching and grinding your teeth, especially during sleep, but even during the awake hours. This unconscious habit is called bruxism. Your dentist can, with some confidence, diagnose you as having bruxism if you have obvious signs of excessive wear on your teeth that cannot be attributed to what you eat and chew. If you are told you have bruxism, don’t fight it. Excessive wear of your teeth is forensic evidence you are unconsciously doing it during the daytime, or you are doing it while you are in certain stages of sleep. 

So, what do you do with this newfound habit? Well, your dentist can make you a custom, calibrated oral appliance that gives you an ideal bite. This ideal bite will lessen the tendency to clench and grind. The bite appliances are not obtrusive nor obviously visible, especially if your dentist makes it to fit over your lower teeth. To repair developed jowl lines, ask your dentist about botox injections or dermal fillers at your next checkup. 

Schedule your appointment today. Call Dr. Doumit in Ottawa, Ontario at 613-232-8000 or visit www.urbandentalcentre.com.

Dr. Katia Doumit proudly serves Ottawa and all surrounding areas.

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Spruce Up Your Smile with Facial Rejuvenation | Ottawa Dentist

Now that you have finally gotten the smile you’ve always wanted you may begin to notice that the little lines in your face are becoming more predominant. Well, if it isn’t one thing, it’s another, right? Don’t worry – you aren’t alone. Aging is natural for everyone, but it doesn’t mean we need to lie down and surrender to the facts of life. It’s just time for a visit to the dentist. One of the ways a smile makeover is successful, is to have some facial rejuvenation done to improve the overall look of your smile. Here at L’Esplande Dental Centre Dentaire, we are proud to offer our patients two of these treatment options – Botox and Juvederm. These procedures have both been performed for years, but they are very different. Here is a quick breakdown: Botox. This option freezes muscles to stop creases and wrinkles caused by facial expressions. These are typically found in the upper face, such as the forehead and around the eyes. The results can last 3 to 4 months but is done in a single trip to the dentist. Dermal fillers. These fillers use hyaluronic acid and similar substances to “fill in” or plump areas that have lost volume and smoothness. This includes all of the places that are used when you smile – wrinkles around the mouth, thin lips, and cheeks that have lost fullness. But more than that, they may also be used on forehead wrinkles, scars, and other areas that need extra volume for a smoother look. Unlike Botox, these results can last up to half a year. If you would like more information about facial rejuvenation, call Dr. Katia Doumit in Ottawa, Ontario at 613-232-8000 or visit www.lesplanadedental.com. Dr. Doumit proudly serves Ottawa and all surrounding areas.
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When You Get Facial Fillers at the Dentist | Ottawa Dentist

We all want to stop the hands of time, but sadly, it doesn’t. We age each and every day, no matter how much we don’t want it to. So, we have tips and tricks we do to give the appearance that we are more youthful than we are. Cosmetic procedures do not only involve a plastic surgeon. But, what do facial fillers, like Botox® or Juvederm®, have to do with dentistry? It’s not like teeth have wrinkles.

These days, more and more dental professionals have realized that function and esthetic go hand-in-hand in achieving optimal health. Our faces and mainly, our jaws do have muscles and they’re prone to suffering from constant muscle spasms. Conditions such as bruxism, TMJ and others involving facial pain have been proven to benefit from these injections, though not all dentists are aware of this.

Safe for treating conditions involving facial pain, dermal fillers have been effective to some extent in treating high line cases without having to resort to far more invasive and aggressive forms of treatment. In orthodontics, the teeth of patients with strong mentalis muscles are prone reverting back to pre-therapy positions. Botox can help with this by making the muscles weaker to allow more normal movement and prevent the undoing of the effects of the current treatment. Patients who are still getting used to dentures can benefit, especially if they suffer from strong and consistent muscle contractions.

If you are worried about risks, know that local anesthesia, which is far more frequently used by dentists, is also a lot more dangerous and have greater potential for complications.

If you would like more information about facial fillers, call Dr. Katia Doumit in Ottawa, Ontario at 613-232-8000 or visit www.lesplanadedental.com.

Dr. Doumit proudly serves Ottawa and all surrounding areas.

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Getting Botox: At the Dentist? | Ottawa Dentist

It seems everyone is trying to keep their youthful glow these days and will try almost anything to keep it. From fad diets to surgical procedures, everyone is looking for that quick path to the fountain of youth. Because let’s face it – time waits for no man. So, we go to the doctors to fill in our wrinkles with collagen and Botox in order to keep it moving. But have you ever heard of getting Botox injections at the dentist? Sure, it isn’t the first treatment option you think of when visiting the dentist, but Botox is actually a very useful option in the dental world. Botox injections or Botox, for short, is used in treating all sorts of conditions in the medical field, because of its temporary paralysis of muscle activity components. But, it’s not like teeth have wrinkles, right? Dental professionals have begun to use these injections to treat conditions like bruxism, TMJ and others involving facial pain. Because it is safe for treating conditions involving facial pain, Botox injections may also prove useful in many other dental cases. In orthodontics, the teeth of patients with strong mentalis muscles are prone reverting back to pre-therapy positions. Botox can help by weakening the muscles to allow movement and prevent any of the results of the current treatment. Patients who are still getting used to dentures can also benefit from Botox as they transition. While some may be concerned about using Botox as a treatment option, know that the local anesthesia typically used during your dental visits has greater potential for complications and negative reactions than Botox or dermal fillers. If you would like more information about Botox, call Dr. Katia Doumit in Ottawa, Ontario at 613-232-8000 or visit www.lesplanadedental.com. Dr. Doumit proudly serves Ottawa and all surrounding areas.