Bruxism
Bruxism more commonly known as teeth grinding, can result in jaw pain and persistent headaches. It can also diminish tooth enamel and cause sensitivity and even chipped teeth. Treatments for teeth grinding focus mainly on preventing dental damage, but new studies have shown that using Botox for bruxism could effectively halt grinding in the first.
Botox for bruxism is injected into the masseter muscle just below your cheekbone and the frontalis and temporalis muscles in your forehead and temples.
Bruxism usually happens subconsciously as we sleep. It is often a consequence of stress or anxiety. There are two classifications of the problem:
Awake Bruxism is characterised by involuntary clenching of the teeth and jaw bracing in reaction to certain stimuli. There is generally no tooth grinding with awake bruxism.
Sleep Bruxism is characterised by automatic teeth grinding with rhythmic and sustained jaw muscle contractions.
There are multiple adverse effects on sufferers: some short term which disappear when the Bruxism ceases and others are long term and permanent. Bruxism sufferers are three times more likely to experience headaches: they can also endure aching of the jaw and facial muscles, known as facial myalgia. Many patients find themselves in a hospital pain clinic try to find some respite from their chronic discomfort. Bruxism sufferers commonly have a disrupted nights sleep and their partners can be kept awake by the noise their condition makes.
Thankfully there is a relatively painless solution to all of this. Our highly qualified and experienced practitioner can precisely relax the muscles of the face involved with the grinding and clenching– relieving the symptoms of chronic pain and reducing the wearing down of teeth and fillings.