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Grinding Teeth (Bruxism) Helped With Botox
As someone with severe bruxism who wears a mouthguard to stop it, I can really relate to the following.
What comes to mind when you think of botox? You're probably familiar with it as the celebrity-endorsed miracle wrinkle remover. Have you considered it as a possible cure for teeth grinding? Teeth grinding, known as bruxism, has become more common as a result of pandemic-related stress. People are increasingly turning to botox to cure bruxism, according to cosmetic clinics.
People have been under extended stress in a degree that has never been seen before, according to Dr. Vivek Eranki, CEO of multi-award-winning national Cosmetique Cosmetic Clinics.
“We have seen an increase in the number of patients seeking treatment with botox for bruxism,” he said.
“If you have bruxism, you may unconsciously clench your teeth when you're awake (awake bruxism) or clench, gnash or grind them during sleep (sleep bruxism). Sleep bruxism is considered a sleep-related movement disorder and it can cause serious dental problems including teeth movement, wear and tear, broken teeth, jaw pain, headaches and more.
“Some people opt to wear a mouth guard at night, whilst many are turning to botox as it not only stops bruxism it also has the added aesthetic benefit of slimming the jawline.”
Why bruxism should be treated?
“Teeth grinding can lead to a number of problems, most seriously, damage to your teeth. But also, it can lead to headaches and neckaches and pain around the jaw area from all the tension,” Dr Eranki said.
“The traditional treatment of bruxism is to wear a mouth guard at night. However, mouth guards are uncomfortable to wear and all they do is protect the teeth, they don’t address all the other side effects which is why so many people are receiving botox instead.”
How does botox treatment work?
“Botox can be used to treat bruxism because it’s injected into the masseter muscles that run down your cheek and is responsible for actions like chewing and opening and closing the jaw. When botox is injected here, it immobilises the muscles and relieves the tension,” Dr Eranki explained.
“Some of the benefits of jaw botox include tension relief in the jaw, a decrease in pain symptoms due to grinding and clenching, and it stops the headaches.”
How long does the process take?
“The actual treatment can be done in your lunch hour, usually in less than 30 minutes,” Dr Eranki added.
“When a client comes in for jaw botox, a numbing cream is applied to the skin to minimise discomfort.
“Injections are then placed in the masseter muscles on both sides of the jaw. This process only takes a few minutes. Does it hurt? No, not really, and most clients say that it’s over before they know it. In terms of results, you can expect to see an improvement within a couple of weeks, however, the maximum results will be felt between six weeks and three months.
“Following treatment, you can expect to feel a bit of swelling and bruising. This is normal and you can treat it with an ice pack. Botox works by blocking the signals from your nerves to the muscles and partly paralysing the muscle’s strength. This means that the muscle function is reduced and so if you’re not used it as much, the teeth grinding and clenching is reduced.
“What is important to understand is that this does not affect your ability to use your jaw in any way, ie, eating, speaking, etc.”
Results speak for themselves
“With so many people now booking in for bruxism botox and experiencing great results, it is easy to see why it is becoming so popular,” Dr Eranki said.
“Usually, the treatment only needs to be repeated every three to four months.”
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