Botox

Hi Readers,

Today I am here to talk with you about Botox and its counterpart Xeomin. Botox has been FDA approved since 2002 for the treatment of glabellar lines (or “11s” as people affectionately call the lines in between their eyebrows.) Since it’s development advancements in therapy have led to its use on forehead wrinkles, crow’s feet, water bottle lines, overactive sweat glands, gummy smiles, headaches, strabismus and uncontrolled bladders just to name a few.

Botox is an injectable medication that acts to reduce the strength of muscle. It does not work directly on the skin; rather it blocks the connection from nerve to muscle so your muscle cannot contract as forcefully. As time goes on and we make similar facial movements over and over again (think about the squinting face you make every time you step outside on a bright day) our skin begins to get etched with deeper lines in that area. These muscles become hyperactive as the result of our habit. When you block that muscle you block that pattern of etching and your skin is finally able to smooth out and relax over that area.

By relaxing the muscles we are effectively letting the skin “recover” giving patients a youthful more relaxed appearance. We relax only the muscles necessary to smooth your skin. By keeping the rest of the facial muscles active we avoid the “frozen” look that was very fashionable in the early 00’s (thank goodness that trend is over.)

Our goal here is to make patients look less mad, less tired and more happy, more refreshed. It's not for everyone, but it can certainly help the right candidate. To find out more information check out our frequently asked questions page.

         Before                                                                         After

                                    

How to Get Your Kids to Brush Their Teeth

One of the questions I get asked most often by my mom friends is how I get my kids to brush their teeth. I have a 2 year old and a 10 month old, both girls. I wish I had a great and easy solution to offer my friends, and to offer all of you, but the sad truth is I don’t. My two year old is very strong willed. She is independent, determined, and self-sufficient. She is definitely taking the terrible twos by storm. The one thing I refuse to let her go without is clean teeth at bedtime. I may give up the fight about what clothes to wear, or if her shoes need to match, or whether or not paint brushes are allowed in the living room, but the tooth brush she knows I don’t give up on.  

For her consistency is really the key. We try for the morning, but whatever happens, without fail, every night they are brushed. I usually brush them while we are in the bath tub because she enjoys bath time and is slightly distracted. It took me a while, but my sister-in-law found a great toothbrush my daughter loves called The Firefly. Here is a link to the one she got at Target: http://www.target.com/p/firefly-lightup-timer-toothbrushes-2-pk-soft/-/A-14071887.

The toothbrush is nothing amazing, but it does light up when you push the button and keeps blinking until you are done brushing your teeth. More often than not my daughter also requests to bring it to bed with her so she can light it up in the dark. The “light toothbrush,” as she calls, it we reserve specifically for teeth brushing, but we also have lots of other toothbrushes around the house. Ones that she can play with, or brush her dolls teeth with, anything to just get her used to the idea in general. We had our fair share of fights (and I mean fights) in the beginning, and we still do on occasion, but I do not give up. Even if I can only brush when she opens her mouth to yell at me, but don’t worry. It does get better. Like most everything else about being a parent it takes incredible patience and repetition.

I know being a parent can be incredibly tough. And sometimes you feel like you just can’t take one more toddler tantrum. There are other ways to help reduce your child’s risk of cavities if they consistently refuse brushing. One of the most important would be to not let them have anything sugary immediately before bed time. (This includes juice and milk!) If they like to have milk before beds make sure they rinse out with water afterwards and they don’t take the bottle to bed with them. Cut down on any food throughout the day that is sticky (think gummies, raisins, jelly) this can coat their teeth and be difficult to get off without a brush. Discuss with your dentist if your child is getting enough fluoride for their habits (more on this in a future post.) And lastly take them to the dentist early and more often if you think they may be at risk for decay. You can do it! And your child will greatly benefit from all of your hard work.

Visit  www.omenedentistry.com for more information