Botox® for teeth grinding/bruxism

Bruxism is the medical term for teeth grinding. It primarily takes the form of teeth grinding while asleep at night, which the people in question often do not notice for some time. This treatment is usually considered medically beneficial given that teeth grinding involves considerable force, which can cause long-term damage to the jaw, mandibular joint and, above all, the teeth.

Bruxism is often caused by stress, though it can have other causes, such as mandibular dysfunction. A person may also grind their teeth at night if they have improperly positioned dentures that prevent them from biting their teeth together. In the case of stress-related teeth grinding, the issue usually improves when the person is able to reduce the mental strain in their daily life.

Using Botox® to treat teeth grinding allows us to achieve noticeable results in a very short time. It relaxes the muscles and thereby significantly reduces the forces and strain involved.

The treatment is gentle, well tolerated and does not involve long, protracted treatment sessions. If you would like to pursue a different kind of treatment in parallel, such as physiotherapy to relax the muscles, Botox® treatment in no way inhibits this.

Without treatment, teeth grinding can cause long term damage to the teeth and mandibular joints. Given the high forces involved in teeth grinding, common consequences include dental abrasion and damage to the tooth enamel. Additionally, overexerting the mandibular joints in this way can lead to malalignment of the jaw, which can entail chronic pain and a feeling of tightness.

Following treatment for bruxism, you should rest for 1 or 2 days and take a break from sports and exercise. Gently cooling the treated area can counteract any swelling or bruising.

We advise using sun cream whenever you go outdoors for a while. You should also avoid hot baths and visits to the sauna or solarium for at least 48 hours.

Enhancing the V-shape of the face is a positive side effect of treatment for bruxism. Significant teeth grinding often leads to the masticatory muscles becoming overdeveloped, which can make a person’s face appear broad and angular. It is not uncommon for the masseter muscle to become unilaterally overdeveloped – i.e. asymmetrically enlarged – leading to overall dysfunction and a considerable loss of aesthetic harmony.

By administering Botox® injections to treat teeth grinding, we can achieve lasting relaxation of the jaw muscles. The masticatory muscle gradually recedes, leaving the jawline looking softer and more harmonious.

In a facial slimming treatment, just as in treatment for teeth grinding, we inject Botox® directly into the large masticatory muscle (masseter). This controlled injection allows us to reduce the muscle’s activity without impairing or immobilising it.

Facial slimming with Botox® is an outpatient treatment and only takes a few minutes. The effects begin to appear after a few days and develop over the weeks that follow, as it takes some time for the masticatory muscle to visibly recede.

The results of Botox® are not permanent. This applies when using Botox® to treat teeth grinding as well to enhance the facial V-shape.

You can expect the results to last for 4 to 6 months on average before the relaxing effect begins to fade. One to two top-up sessions per year are usually sufficient to maintain the effects of the Botox® treatment.

When Botox® is used to treat teeth grinding, you should not expect any serious side effects. Slight swelling and small bruises may appear around the injection sites, but you can counteract this effectively by gently cooling the area.

At the KOEBE KLINIK, we use high-quality, well-tolerated compounds from renowned manufacturers in our Botox® treatments. The substance only remains in the body for a limited period, after which time it is broken down, so any results are not permanent.

If treatment is deemed medically advisable, treatment costs are often covered by private health insurance providers. You should consult your insurance provider about this in advance.