Bruxism treatment using Botox
If you suffer from bruxism (tooth grinding) you’ll know that it’s not just annoying for you and those around you, it’s also painful and can damage both your teeth and any dental work you’ve had done.
Traditionally treatments included protective night guards – hardly a glamorous or romantic solution for those in relationships, but potentially less likely to disturb your partner’s sleep.
Botox injections can be used to stop the cause of bruxism by relaxing the over active jaw muscles, thereby taking pressure off the jaw joint. This stops joint pain and prevents further damage to your teeth. Treatment results typically last between 4-6 months – and, better still, you can kiss that cumbersome night guard goodbye.
What causes bruxism?
Bruxism is the unconscious grinding and clenching of the teeth that mostly takes place while you are asleep. Often suffers only find out they are affected by bruxism when a sleep deprived partner, woken once too often by the grinding sounds, points it out to them.
It affects about 1 in 4 adults in the UK, with symptoms that can include an aching jaw, headaches, gum problems and the danger of tooth enamel being eroded.
The pressure on the teeth during grinding can be 20 times greater than the force used in normal chewing and biting. As a result, the incisors can end up shorter with sharp edges and tiny chip marks, and the canines can be covered in notches. Teeth can also work loose and fillings be gouged out.
A full explanation for why we grind our teeth is yet to be established, but it is believed that stress and anxiety can play a part.
Is bruxism a permanent condition?
For most patients, bruxism is either temporary (due to stress) or is a habit that can be broken. A Botox treatment, or series of treatments, for bruxism helps you to break the pattern or gives you enough time to get through the stressful period.
A treatment plan lasting around 12 months (typically between two and three courses of injections) can help you to resolve the problem. Please note that this can partly depend upon your lifestyle, if stress is ongoing or re-emerges, then you may require a longer treatment plan.
Key facts about our Bruxism treatment
- You must have a 30 minute consultation with a dental surgeon prior to a treatment.
- This treatment is not suitable for all jaw pain sufferers, but that can only be determined at consultation.
- Treatment times are typically 30 minutes.
- It takes 10-14 days after injection for results to work.
- A complimentary review is provided between 14-21 days where any treatment adjustment can be done.
