When placing dental implants, practitioners should consider using Botox and dermal filler agents for patients who need facial volume restorations, according to a presentation at the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) annual meeting in Las Vegas, October 19-22.
"Besides creating beautiful smiles, we like to create harmony between the dentofacial complex by addressing the deep lines and wrinkles in the face that can prevent our patients from looking their best," said Pankaj Singh, DDS, in an AAID press release.
For older dental implant patients with facial aging, the corners the mouth begin to turn down and wrinkles appear around the lips. Botox can relax affected muscles to raise mouth corners and smooth wrinkles to ensure successful and satisfying outcomes, according to Dr. Singh.
In addition, dermal filler agents treat fat and collagen volume that causes static lines to develop. "As we age, our body's production of hyaluronic acid, the body's natural filler, decreases, which causes facial lines to appear," Dr. Singh said.
It takes about two weeks for dermal filler agents to show results, he added, and some patients experience side effects, such as localized pain, infection, bleeding, swelling, redness, bruising, and tenderness in and near the injection site. In addition, results are not permanent, and injections will need to be repeated periodically to maintain the cosmetic improvement.
An estimated 8% of dentists in North America now provide Botox and dermal filer cosmetic treatments, according to the AAID.
"Facial volume restoration is the future for the achieving optimal aesthetic outcomes in the delivery of cosmetic and restorative dental care," Dr. Singh said.
