What is Botulinum Toxin Application in the Masseter Muscle (Botulinum Toxin for tooth clenching)?

Bruxism is the medical term given to the disease of clenching (grinding) teeth, which can be caused largely by stress, which can also be caused by the side effects of some antidepressant, antiepileptic and antihypertensive drugs, etc., which can also be caused by the effect of drug use, etc., or which can cause physically painful and severe tooth and jaw joint problems. Chronic teeth grinding can cause headaches, earaches, facial pain, a feeling of pressure and fullness in the head and neck area, joint pain in the jaw and even migraines. Dental problems caused by bruxism include loss of tooth enamel, increased tooth sensitivity and flattening and/or crumbling of teeth, increased gum problems. Bruxism patients who grind and clench their teeth while sleeping often wake up with jaw pain. Their sleep quality decreases and the feeling of not being rested and waking up tired in the morning is evident. Hypertrophy of the masseter muscle, which can lead to a severe square jaw appearance, is another side effect of bruxism. Treatments with Botulinum Toxin Type A, commonly known as botulinum toxin, provide significant relief for jaw pain, head, neck and joint pain and other unpleasant problems associated with Bruxism. The application of botulinum toxin to the jaw prevents abnormal, unconscious clenching and grinding of teeth.

Recently, botulinum toxin has been proven to be an ideal treatment option for targeting and treating excessive muscle activity and spasticity. Anti-inflammatory drugs and many other treatments do not address the source of the problem. Therefore, they are incomplete in treatment. Although the Night Plate can successfully protect the teeth from damage at night for bruxism patients without masseter hypertrophy, it is ineffective in stopping the painful side effects of teeth grinding because the muscle strength is too much in patients with Masseter Hypertrophy (a condition in which the Masseter Muscle is very enlarged) and they can still continue to clench their teeth with the plate.

How to Apply Botulinum Toxin in Masseter Muscle?

By injecting small doses of botulinum toxin directly into the masseter muscle (the large muscle that moves the jaw), the chewing muscle is weakened enough to stop the involuntary grinding of the teeth and clenching of the jaw. This significantly relaxes the muscles and reduces the wear and tear on the teeth from grinding. If there is TMJ (temporomandibular joint) damage that has developed secondary to increased muscle activation, additional joint treatment is required. If another chewing muscle, the temporal muscle, is also affected, botulinum toxin should be applied to the temporal muscle with the same method. At the same time, since it is a good inflammation mediator, it is a very good painkiller, the existing pain problems are solved with the applied procedure. In this application, voluntary movements such as chewing and facial expressions are not affected at all with the treatment done in the right hands.

During this procedure, which takes about 10 minutes, the individual does not feel any pain. Because the area is usually numbed with anesthetic cream before the application. After this procedure is completed, it is possible to return to work life quickly.

What are the Benefits of Botulinum Toxin Application in Masseter Muscle?

Masseter botulinum toxin has various advantages. The most common benefits of this procedure for individuals can be listed as follows:

• It is an extremely safe application. As it is known, botulinum toxin is an application that does not require surgical intervention. Therefore, it does not carry risks like plastic surgery operations.
• By thinning the chin structure, it gives a thinner and oval face rather than a square appearance.
• With the botulinum toxin procedure performed on the jaw muscles, the size of the jaw muscles decreases. Thus, you will have a thinner and more prominent jaw line.
• You will get rid of the pain caused by jaw clenching and teeth grinding.
• It provides complete relief from abrasions on the teeth caused by clenching, periodontal gum damage, micro tooth fractures, filling fractures, damage to dental prostheses.
• In individuals who are not suitable for the use of night plates, teeth clenching can be prevented with Botulinum Toxin Application applied twice a year.

Is There Any Pain After Treatment?

After this treatment, individuals do not experience any pain or suffering.