Apr
While you likely know that Botox injections can diminish facial wrinkles for a more youthful look, what might surprise you is its effectiveness in addressing teeth grinding, also known as bruxism. Injecting Botox into the masseter muscle temporarily relaxes and alleviates jaw muscle tension, relieving symptoms associated with teeth grinding.
Are you battling pain from Bruxism? Schedule an appointment with Mid-Valley Dental Care for a consultation to see if you’re a candidate for masseter Botox. After a few injections, you’ll see significant reductions in chronic headaches, jaw pain, and other bruxism symptoms, such as tooth wear.
Bruxism is a condition where patients chronically grind and clench their teeth. Although the condition can happen during the day, it’s common at night during sleep. Unfortunately, many nighttime teeth grinders don’t realize they suffer from the condition, resulting in undiagnosed cases and unnecessary discomfort.
Although bruxism can only be diagnosed by a doctor, certain symptoms can signal you to seek medical attention. The common symptoms of bruxism include:
Many people tend to grind their teeth when stressed. The other common causes for teeth grinding include side effects of certain medications and sleep disorders like sleep apnea. Whatever the cause of your bruxism, schedule an appointment with Drs. Terence, Casey, and Kayla Lau for consultation and treatment.
Your dentist can treat teeth grinding with a mouthguard, but that doesn’t address the root cause of the problem. Botox injections into the masseter muscle target the source of the issue, providing an effective solution.
Botox is a neurotoxin that has numerous therapeutic benefits when administered clinically. When injected into the jaw muscles, it stops the nerve impulses from reaching the muscle, preventing unwanted movements.
By stopping involuntary muscle movements, Botox users experience reduced jaw soreness, pains, and headaches. The Botox injections weaken the jaw muscles just enough to stop the destructive nature of teeth grinding, but the main functions of the masseter muscle remain undisrupted.
Botox is a non-surgical and painless treatment that takes about 15-30 minutes to complete.
For comfort, we use super-thin needles to inject the Botox product into the muscle. After treatment, you may experience mild bruising and swelling at the injection site, although this is temporary. Many patients return to their everyday activities after treatment.
The effects of Botox manifest within two weeks, although many patients experience optimal benefits after three weeks. However, Botox isn’t permanent. The treatment lasts an average of three to four months, so you’ll need touch-up treatments to continue enjoying the benefits.
Botox effectively treats bruxism without the burden of wearing a mouthguard or undergoing surgery. Some benefits of Botox include:
Has bruxism gotten the better of you? Don’t suffer from teeth grinding any longer. Instead, call (818) 886-3500 to schedule an appointment with Mid-Valley Dental Care for Botox treatment.
Dr. Terence
Dr. Casey
Dr. Kayla