The Therapeutic Use of Botox

By Katherine Krattenmaker, RDH, BS, Liana Lu, RDH, BS, Tzu-Yu Ko, RDH, BS and Dianne L. Sefo, RDH, MEd

While most commonly known for its cosmetic use as a wrinkle reducer, botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) is quickly growing in popularity as a therapeutic treatment option for many medical and dental issues related to muscle hyperactivity. In dentistry, a large number of muscle-generated issues require professional attention, such as hypersalivation, bruxism, masseteric hypertrophy, temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), dysphagia, and oromandibular dystonia (OMD). Muscle-generated problems are often treated with intraoral appliances, occlusal adjustment, dental restorations, medications, and surgery, which can be invasive, expensive, and damaging to tooth structure. Many of these parafunctional habits can be overcome. The injection of BoNT-A is a growing treatment option for many dental issues due to its easy application, efficacy, and minimal side effects.

* References can be found in the original article via the link below.
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