Botox® & Dermal Fillers Available In Rydal, PA
Millions of people use BOTOX®, JUVÉDERM®, and Restylane® to achieve a more relaxed and smooth facial appearance, while still having the freedom of expression. Combining dermal fillers like BOTOX® with teeth whitening, Invisalign, or porcelain veneers, you can create a much more youthful appearance.
An attractive smile can significantly improve your image and self-confidence, but it involves much more than your teeth – a great looking smile includes the entire face. Beautiful teeth surrounded by deep facial folds, volume deficient lips or “smokers” lines is like a picture with an ugly
frame. A beautiful face with crooked yellow teeth is a gorgeous frame surrounding an ugly picture. Total facial esthetics will bring out your full beauty potential.
Now you can radiate beauty from the inside out by receiving BOTOX® injections and dermal filler treatments from Dr. Ashley, who has been specially trained in total facial esthetics.
Dental professionals are highly trained in the entire anatomy of the head and neck as well as the oral cavity, so we can administer your BOTOX® and dermal filler treatments with exceptional accuracy and precision.
Since BOTOX® and dermal fillers are temporary esthetic treatments, these treatments can be conveniently scheduled to coincide with your routine dental hygiene appointments.
Dermal Fillers
As skin ages, it begins to lose collagen filled with hyaluronic acid (HA). Collagen and HA add structure and volume to the face, and therefore a lack of HA causes the skin to sag and wrinkle. That’s where dermal fillers come into play.
Dermal fillers, such as JUVÉDERM® and Restylane®, are smooth injectable gels made from naturally occurring hyaluronic acid. Dermal fillers add volume to these depleted areas to restore your face to a more natural youthful appearance. In just one short appointment, you will immediately see the esthetic results, which can last up to six months.
BOTOX®
BOTOX® is an FDA approved purified protein that is injected into targeted muscles and temporarily blocks nerve signals that cause muscle movements, essentially relaxing the muscle which reduces or eliminates fine lines and wrinkles. Within 7-10 days of the BOTOX® injection, the treated facial muscles become temporarily relaxed, causing the overlying skin to lay flat and unwrinkled. The untreated facial muscles contract in a normal fashion allowing facial expressions to be unaffected.
BOTOX® injections only take a few minutes and will remain effective for 3-4 months.
What Is The Difference Between Botox And Dermal Fillers?
Dermal fillers do nothing for TMD. Dermal fillers, as their name implies, are injected and they “fill” in an area. This returns volume to sunken areas, such as the cheeks, or a filler can be injected to fill creases and lines around the nose and mouth.
Botox works by relaxing the muscles it is injected into. This is how it erases frown lines, crow’s feet, and forehead lines, as they are all caused by muscle contractions under the skin when we make various expressions. Botox works to relax the muscles involved with TMD in the same way.
Patient Testimonial
"Members of our family have been patients of the McDowell group for many years. We travel the 60 minutes from our home to the office because of the relationships we have developed and for the quality of care that we continue to receive. The professionalism of the staff, range of services and state of the art technology retain us as patients."
How Is Botox Used As A Treatment For TMD?
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is located on both sides of the head where the jawbone meets the skull. The TMJ is used for chewing, talking, swallowing, even breathing. For many people this joint gets overused due to teeth clenching from stress and anxiety. In severe cases, the joint can lock. This is temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMD.
Dr. Ashley McDowell has extensive training in this disorder from the Las Vegas Institute and she has found success using Botox for many patients suffering from the chronic pain of TMD.
When Dr. McDowell injects Botox into the facial muscles afflicted with soreness and discomfort these muscles relax and stop activating so strongly. They are not completely paralyzed, but simply weakened. After being injected with Botox these muscles are unable to engage in the powerful, often unconscious movement of the jaw that produces the chronic pain and recurring headaches of TMD.
Who Is A Good Candidate For Botox Treatment For TMD?
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research estimates that over 10 million Americans are affected by TMD, suffering from pain in and around the ears and jaw, as well as headaches, tension, inability to open and close the mouth comfortably, and painful clicking, popping, or grinding sounds when speaking, chewing, or yawning.
If that sounds like you, Botox treatment at McDowell Dental Group could be effective. But you should first work through alternative treatments. Reduce stress, stop chewing gum and chewy foods, try anti-inflammatory medication or even muscle relaxants, look into possible physical therapy, and have Dr. Ashley McDowell fit you for a custom mouth guard that can place your lower jaw in a better position during sleep.
If you’ve tried all of these potential treatments for TMD, why not come in and have Dr. McDowell provide Botox injections. What do you have to lose at this point, except the chronic pain?
What Are The Benefits Of Using Botox To Treat My TMD?
Botox offers a quick, straightforward, effective treatment for TMD. Dr. McDowell gives these injections right in our Abington offices and they take just minutes. Patients usually start feeling improvement within just one to two days as the Botox works to block the nerve messages and weaken the muscle contractions through the injected areas.
Botox is known for its wrinkle-relaxing process on the upper third of the face. This started when the FDA approved Botox for aesthetic use on frown lines and forehead wrinkles in 2002. But Botox has been used since the 1980s to treat problems with involuntary muscle contractions. In fact, its first FDA approval was to relax the muscles creating involuntary eyelid spasms. Since then, the FDA has approved Botox for various other non-aesthetic uses, even including urinary incontinence. Botox has proven to be surprisingly effective in a wide variety of treatments. Although the FDA has not approved it specifically for TMD, it has been widely used off-label for this with impressive results. It is assumed FDA approval will come for this use at some point.
Patient Testimonial:
"Dr. Ashley is a perfectionist. She doesn’t settle for anything but a perfect outcome. I have been a patient for years and always completely satisfied. Kudos!"
Is Botox For TMD Safe?
Botox has been injected millions of times all around the world for both cosmetic and other uses. It has proven to be a very effective treatment. The FDA has approved Botox for numerous uses, everything from migraine headaches to excessive underarm sweating to cervical dystonia (where muscle contractions are holding the head in an abnormal position causing neck pain).
Using Botox for TMD is, at this time, an “off-label” use, but that has been the pattern for Botox all along. For instance, the FDA didn’t initially approve Botox for treating crow’s feet. The initial aesthetic approval was for forehead lines and frown lines between the eyebrows. But doctors and surgeons thought it could work in the same way for crow’s feet, so they began using it off-label for treating patients who requested it. This eventually led to the FDA approving it for treating crow’s feet in 2011. The same process is anticipated with TMD.
There are risks with Botox, mainly of impacting an incorrect muscle, but that’s where Dr. Ashley McDowell’s specialized training into Neuromuscular Dentistry at the Las Vegas Institute comes into play. She has the training and experience to offer this treatment of TMD for our patients.
Do I Need To Do Anything To Prepare For Botox Injections?
There is no preparation necessary for Botox injections.
BOTOX® Treatment For TMJ/TMD
If you suffer from TMJ/TMD symptoms, headaches, or migraine pain, and your healthcare professional determines you are a candidate for this treatment, your specific diagnosis and the severity of your condition will dictate how much BOTOX® you will require.
BOTOX® is injected into the affected head and neck muscles and blocks nerve signals that cause muscle movements, essentially relaxing the muscles and reducing or eliminating facial pain.
BOTOX® injections take only a few minutes and will remain effective for up to 3 months. Pain symptoms may return 3 months after your initial treatment, but with a series of treatments, BOTOX® can retrain your muscles to relax and you will notice your symptoms resolve for longer periods of time.
You will also notice your facial esthetics will considerably improve. Facial wrinkles will disappear following the treatment, and the jaw may even slim down, creating a beautiful aesthetic effect.
What Should I Expect From This Treatment At McDowell Dental Group?
These injections take just 10-15 minutes with Dr. Ashley McDowell. She injects Botox with a very tiny needle, and it is not injected to great depth, so there isn’t any need for topical numbing. Most patients equate the feeling to that of a pinprick.
The only thing you can’t do afterwards is rub the injection sites. That can move the Botox to an unwanted adjacent muscle. Leave it alone for 24 hours after your session.
What Our Patients Have To Say
"I bring my family here- myself, my husband, and our daughter and every visit is a great experience. I feel like I know the staff and they know us. We are always welcomed in, and everyone is happy to work with you. My daughter who is a toddler is comfortable being there & the staff/Doctors are all so kind. Ive also been here for cosmetic treatment and the experiences have all been fantastic with wonderful results. I truly cant recommend this practice enough and hope if you are seeking a dentist for yourself or your family you'll consider this to be my glowing recommendation to do so."
How Many Units Of Botox Are Used For TMD?
Botox is measured by the unit, and the amount varies by the different muscles and by the size and strength of the patient’s muscles. Amounts vary, but here are some ranges for the different muscles involved: temporalis muscles, 10-25 units; masseter muscles, 15-30 units; lateral pterygoids, 7-10 units.
These are variable. Dr. McDowell will begin with the lower amounts to see how they work for the patient. Botox can take up to 10-14 days to fully relax the injected muscles, so some patience is necessary. This is especially true with the larger masseter muscle. If more Botox is needed, an additional session can be added.
How Often Would I Need Botox For TMD?
This varies depending upon the patient’s individual metabolism and muscle strength. Generally, patients can expect relief for 3 to 5 months. In some cases, one or two sessions begin to relax the muscles for longer periods of time, and this can eliminate the TMD problem, often when combined with stretching exercises and a night guard.
Schedule A Consultation
For more information about BOTOX® and Dermal Fillers in Abington, PA, please call our office at 215.885.0555 or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment. We provide patients with general and cosmetic dentistry services in Rydal, Jenkintown, Horsham, Upper Dublin, Willow Grove, Lower Moreland, Bluebell and Philadelphia, PA.
