Botox is commonly used for smoothing wrinkles and fine lines for a youthful look. However, Botox has other uses beyond cosmetics. Lone Star Smiles in Lubbock, Texas, uses Botox to relieve chronic teeth grinding and clenching (bruxism). When Dr. Cole Sutak injects Botox into your jaw muscles, it relaxes your muscles to reduce bruxism-induced pressure.

How Botox works for teeth grinding

Chronic teeth grinding and clenching, technically called bruxism, plagues many of us. This involuntary teeth grinding when asleep — sometimes during the day — exerts about 250 pounds of force, which damages your jaw muscles and teeth. Patients with bruxism experience numerous unpleasant symptoms, including headaches, jaw aches, locked jaws, and discomfort when chewing.

Bruxism can be a source of discomfort, lowering your quality of life. Fortunately, bruxism sufferers can now get relief using Botox. Botox has an incredible ability to block signals from nerves that cause muscle contraction. This is the same principle applied to remove wrinkles in your face using Botox.

When we inject Botox into the masseter muscles (the large muscles that move your jaw), it weakens your jaw muscles to minimize the pressure exerted during teeth grinding. This action relaxes your muscles, allowing them to heal over time. It also minimizes dental damage and other bruxism-related aches and discomforts.

What to expect during the Botox procedure

Botox therapy is an outpatient procedure that takes about 30 minutes to complete. It is also gentle and has minimal downtime. The procedure involves several Botox injections into the masseter muscle. After the procedure, you may experience minimal redness, bruising, and swelling, but these can be managed with home remedies. 

Most patients experience Botox effects after 7-10 days, but the results remain for up to five months. After this period, you should consider Botox again for continued symptom relief. 

Benefits of Botox

Patients who don’t want the burden of wearing a bruxism nightguard can consider Botox, which offers numerous benefits, including:

• Fast relief
• Long-lasting results
• Affordable 
• Minimal downtime
• Gentle procedure
• An added bonus of reshaping your face by reducing the bulky masseter muscle
• Quick procedure

Don’t let bruxism get the better of you. Instead, call (806) 666-1099 to discover the power of Botox and how it can relieve jaw aches for a relaxing lifestyle. 

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