Bruxism

Common Questions

Does anti-wrinkle treatment help with bruxism?

Anti-wrinkle injections aren’t just for people who want smooth, youthful, wrinkle-free skin, they’re also for people who suffer from bruxism.

Anti-wrinkle injections for teeth grinding is a simple yet highly effective treatment for people suffering from bruxism. Anti-wrinkle injections are injected directly into the masseter muscle, also known as ‘the jaw’. Here, the anti-wrinkle treatment begins to weaken the muscle, thereby reducing clenching and grinding of the teeth and jaw, until eventually the patient stops doing it completely.

As the anti-wrinkle treatment works as a muscle relaxant, the severity of the bruxism gradually declines until eventually the condition stops entirely. This may take several treatments over a period of time depending on the strength of the muscle.

How long does it take for bruxism treatment to work after anti-wrinkle injection?

It takes up to 14 days for teeth grinding injections to take effect after anti-wrinkle injections and you should have an improvement from your symptoms. If you are still experiencing clenching at the 6 week mark we recommend coming back for a review. Sometimes the bite muscle needs a little more treatment. A small number of patients start to experience tension in their temples after the bite muscles have been treated. If this is the case we can place anti-wrinkle injections in the muscle near the temple, known as ‘temporalis’ to reduce symptoms.

What to expect from the procedure.

Following a consultation to determine if this is the right treatment for you, the procedure itself takes less than 10 minutes. The amount of treatment (units) used can vary depending on the strength of the persons muscles and will be injected into the belly of the muscle using several injection sites.

As with any type of anti-wrinkle treatments, side effects are possible. The most common ones are mild discomfort at the injection site as well as bruising, redness and swelling.

After the masseter Botox treatment, you can go immediately back to your usual activities and doesn’t require any recovery time. However, you’ll need to avoid the following for the 24 hours:

• rubbing the treated area
• placing pressure on the treated area
• exercise

These actions might spread the toxin to other parts of your face.

The results of treatment are not immediate. It can take up to 14 days post-procedure to feel your masseter muscles relax.

If you’re getting treatment for cosmetic purposes (jaw slimming), it usually takes multiple treatments, spaced months apart, before the muscle atrophies and shrinks to achieve your desired cosmetic look.

For optimal results and reduced risk of side effects, it’s important to follow the aftercare instructions given at the time of your appointment.