Your lips can change your smile.
NICD patient before augmentation
NICD patient after Juvederm filler
“The lips are the frame for the teeth." This quote rings true for Dr. Karry Whitten, who makes it part of her job to study how the shape and the contour of your lips will affect the appearance of your teeth and, ultimately, your smile.
This has led Dr. Whitten to pursue extensive training in the use Juvederm® and Restylane®. Using these injectable lip fillers, Dr. Whitten is able to offer patients the ability to achieve optimal proportions between their lips and their teeth.
Medically administered lip fillers and over-the-counter lip plumpers vary greatly in their outcomes. Dr. Whitten explains, “There are several products that stimulate your lips to plump slightly for an hour or two. Most of them utilize vasodilation, which stimulates the blood to rush to the surface of the lips. Some plumpers include hyaluronic acid, which adds volume to the lips by attracting water to the surface when applied. Other employ ingredients like cinnamon, menthol or caffeine to irritate the lips, causing them to swell slightly.”
Lip augmentation offers a much longer-lasting option for people seeking fuller lip lines. Like lip plumpers, Juvederm® and Restylane® contain hyaluronic acid, which absorbs water that occurs naturally in our bodies. However, since it is injected rather than applied topically, it acts from the inside of the lips and remains in the system for up to a year. The product is eventually absorbed into the body.
Even though your lips are one of the most delicate parts of your body, augmentation can be done painlessly with use of a dental block to numb the area prior to injection. The procedure takes approximately 20 minutes, with some swelling and potential bruising that subsides in a few days.
If you are interested in learning more about lip augmentation, please ask any of our informed staff members.
Note: Dr. Whitten has achieved multilevel certification in lip augmentation procedures and the use of Botox®.