You may be asking yourself why you would choose the oral and maxillofacial surgeon for aesthetic enhancement procedures (BOTOX® and dermal fillers). Actually there are some very good reasons why that decision is a smart one.
The oral and maxillofacial surgeon is a specialist that has focused his or her attention on this region since the beginning of their training. Most often commencing their training with dentistry the oral and maxillofacial surgeon moves forward from there to extensive and advanced training in surgeries and treatment of conditions involving the head and neck. In some cases they have been awarded two degrees to signify the breadth of their knowledge and understanding of this region of the human body.
The specialty as a whole is specifically focused on the entire facial structure encompassing a unique knowledge of both its function as well as its appearance. We have spent years looking at structural facial balance while studying its impact on the overlying soft tissues. All of us have an in depth understanding of the muscles involving function as well as facial expression. We have surgically operated in this area of the human body for our entire career. Many of the other specialties offering treatments in aesthetic enhancements have come from a base of general surgery or general medicine and possibly have a watered down experience when it relates to the face and what makes pleasing form and proper function. Furthermore, the OMFS has some very unique abilities in the area of anesthesia.
While most injections experienced during the use of botulinum toxin and dermal fillers are tolerable, many would rather not have to endure that discomfort simply with the idea that “without pain there is no gain.” Facial injections of dermal fillers can be made relatively painless, thereby allowing for a more meticulous outcome that is uninfluenced by patient burnout. We are noted by all medical specialties to be the first place to turn when performing regional local anesthetic blocks to the face as well as ambulatory anesthesia if that is something that the patient would prefer.