Treating Bruxism | Blog | DRVICTORIA™ Skin Clinic

Teeth grinding and jaw clenching (bruxism) isn’t just painful, it can damage your teeth and any expensive dental work you’ve had done. Plus it often builds up the muscles in your jaw to the point where it changes the shape of your jaw line. Often it occurs at night so you can't consciously try to prevent it.

Mouth guards worn during the night can help prevent damage, but they’re not exactly a glamorous solution and they can’t do anything about that bulked up jaw line.

Injections to treat bruxism on the other hand can give real results that last for around 12 weeks. The treatment targets your muscles on the jawline that cause the clenching, allowing them to relax, thus addressing the issue. Not only does this banish the pain and prevent dental damage, but over time your jaw line will also slim down, as it’s no longer getting “pumped up” from its nightly clenching workout.

What are the symptoms of bruxism?

You may experience mild to painful aspects of these symptoms:

Headaches or earache
Painful jaw joint or toothache
Worn or broken teeth / fillings
Disrupted sleep

You may be unaware that you are grinding, as it often occurs whilst you sleep. However, if you wake up with facial and jaw pain, this can be an indication. Bruxism is often associated with stress and therefore adopting activities that aid in stress reduction is always beneficial.

What are the advantages of bruxism injections?

The greatest advantage over a mouth guard is that it can break the habit rather than letting the grinding continue while simply protecting your teeth. It also results in less headaches and a slimmer jawline.

How do the bruxism injections work?

Bruxism injections are used to relax your masseter muscles by temporally blocking signals from your nerves to your muscles, resulting in decreased activity. If you do grind or clench your teeth, these cheek muscles tend to be larger and can be seen bulging during this action. Place your hands either side of your face and push your teeth together, you may feel your muscles in action. It is these protruding muscles which can give the appearance of square jaw, which is often undesirable, particularly for female patients.

How long do results last?

Generally the treatment takes effect after 14 days and results last up to 12 weeks.

What side effects might occur?

Although uncommon there may be mild bruising and swelling at the injection points, so it is always best to schedule treatment at least 2 weeks prior to an event. It is also possible that you might experience a reduction in chewing strength.

Who should not have treatment?

You should avoid this treatment if:

You have an active skin infection at the planned site of injection
Neuromuscular conditions such as Motor Neurone Disease or Myasthenia Gravis
If you’re pregnant or nursing
If you’re on anticoagulants

You can learn more about the treatment visit our Bruxism & TMJ page and arrange a consultation with myself.

Dr Asel
Dr Asel Nawroz BDS, MFDS, MSc
GDC 85386

Author's experience
Asel has a Master of Science with distinction in Aesthetic Medicine from Queen Mary University London and is a member of the Faculty of Dental Surgery for The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Asel has specialised in smile rejuvenation with lip fillers, teeth whitening and bruxism treatments for over 4 years.

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Bruxism