Bruxism (teeth grinding)

Bruxism is a condition that causes excessive teeth grinding and jaw clenching.

It affects up to 30 % of the population.

It can be present at night or during the day. It’s associated with a stressful life style, sleep disturbances, taking antidepressants such as SSRIs, smoking, high alcohol intake, high caffeine intake, recreational drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy.

The most common symptoms are:

teeth pain and hypersensitivity, teeth wear, teeth fracture, masseter hypertrophy, jaw pain, headache.

Botulinum toxin injections, into the masseter muscle, have been shown to provide some symptoms relieve in these patients. Botulinum toxin works by blocking the  communication between the nerves and the muscles. This results in muscle relaxation, which provides a smoother appearance of existing fine lines and wrinkles and also prevents the formation of new lines and wrinkles, by decreasing muscle movements.