Facial Aesthetics and Dentistry

Botox® and Juvéderm®

It is estimated that there are about 42 facial muscles in the human face; these are in constant motion from the earliest months of life as our faces register feelings such as happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, confusion, and fear. On any given day, we express our emotions to the world through a slew of smiles, frowns, and other recognizable facial movements, and these constant contortions of facial muscles eventually create lines, wrinkles, and creases around the forehead, eyes, mouth, and nose. Sun exposure also speeds up the aging and wrinkling process.

At Aesthetic Dental Creations, our care for your appearance extends beyond creating that perfect smile. We also offer facial aesthetics services, such as Botox® and Juvéderm®, to reduce facial lines, wrinkles, and creases, resulting in a more youthful, smoother, and relaxed appearance. Our facial aesthetic services are popular with dental patients to complement aesthetic dental work like veneers, teeth bleaching, and dentures; however, we also provide Botox® and Juvéderm® as stand-alone facial aesthetics services.

You may be surprised to learn that a dentist would offer facial aesthetics services such as Botox® and Juvéderm®, but in actuality, dentists are best trained to give facial injections, which can result in less bruising, tenderness, and swelling post-treatment. Dr. Balaji of Aesthetic Dental Creations has helped patients throughout Monmouth County, Ocean County, and other parts of Central New Jersey achieve a more youthful appearance through Botox® and Juvéderm®.

Here is some general information about Botox and Juvéderm®. Read this, then contact us today to schedule your appointment for a refreshed and younger-looking you!

Botox®

Botox® injections are a treatment to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Botox® blocks signals that run from the nerves to the muscles, thereby limiting muscle contractions in the treated areas. It allows the muscles to stay soft and relaxed, giving the skin above them a smoother, more youthful appearance.

Botox® can alleviate forehead lines, frown lines between the eyebrows, crow’s feet at the outer corners of the eyes, and radial lip lines (also known as smoker’s lines or water bottle lines because the repetitive sucking actions of smoking and drinking from a water bottle can exacerbate these wrinkles).

Botox® treatment is quick, taking about 10 to 15 minutes for the injections, depending on the number of areas being treated. It is not necessary to be numbed before the procedure. The results achieved by Botox® generally last for about three months, with some patients experiencing longer-lasting outcomes, as there can be residual effects after receiving Botox® injections repetitively over time. Since Botox® treatments are temporary, the injections must administered again to maintain the smoother, more youthful look or the wrinkles will gradually return as muscle activity resumes.

Botox® has been in use for 20 years, and its main ingredient, botulinum toxin, has been FDA-approved as a wrinkle treatment since 2002. Contrary to rumor, botulinum toxin does NOT cause botulism because it is actually a purified protein that limits and reduces muscle activity; it does NOT contain live bacteria. Botox injections do not lead to overly- tightened skin, as they simply keep the underlying muscles relaxed, allowing the skin to recover. When properly injected, the treatment should lead to a smoother-skinned appearance that is not artificially tight-looking.

At Aesthetic Dental Creations, Dr. Balaji uses Xeomin®, which is the purest, most organic form of Botox®. Xeomin® only contains botulinum toxin without any additives, which means there are less ingredients for the body to resist or reject. In some cases, Xeomin® has slightly longer-lasting results than Botox®.

Juvéderm®

Juvéderm® is an injectable facial filler used to fill lines and soften folds in the skin. In this way, it reduces the appearance of wrinkles and smoothes the skin. Its main component is hyaluronic acid, which the body naturally manufactures in the skin, muscles, and tendons. Hyaluronic acid attracts water, which plumps the skin where it is injected. It also stimulates the production of collagen and elastin that keep the skin looking full. Our bodies lose one percent of dermal collagen every year, particularly after the age of 50.

Juvéderm® can be injected to reduce wrinkles and skin folds that form between the base of the nose and corners of the mouth (also called smile lines or parentheses). The injections can be administered to add fullness and volume to the lips, which tend to lose plumpness with age. In dentistry, Juvéderm® can be injected into the gums between the two front teeth if there is a tiny, triangle-shaped space or gap forming at the gum line as the gums recede with age.

Like Botox®, Juvéderm® has FDA-approval as a wrinkle treatment, which it obtained in 2006. It also is a temporary solution to reducing wrinkles, which lasts for about six months. To maintain its benefits, Juvéderm® must be re-injected because the hyaluronic acid is absorbed by the body over time.

Call or contact Aesthetic Dental Creations today to schedule your facial aesthetics consultation, whether you are interested in facial aesthetics services alone or in conjunction with aesthetic dental procedures. Find out how you can achieve a more relaxed and youthful appearance in as little as 10 to 15 minutes!

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