Do you tighten your jaw by day and grind your teeth by night, unconsciously dealing with the round-the-clock stress of daily life?

As a trusted resource for information, Costhetics wants you to know just how harmful these habits can be…physically and mentally.

There’s another reason jaws are on our radar right now. There has been an uptick of anti-wrinkle injections for the jaw. The injections are banishing wrinkles and preventing teeth grinding, but they may be over-slimming jawlines.

Teeth Grinding is More Common than You Think

Bruxism is the medical name for a condition where you habitually

• Clench your jaw
• Grind your teeth

“This teeth-grinding and jaw-clenching habit is a common condition that affects up to one-third of adults in the daytime and more than 1 in 10 in their sleep,” reports Cedars Sinai Hospital in the post Teeth Grinding: Causes, Treatments, and Consequences.

Daytime bruxism is a response mechanism triggered by anxiety and stress. People who grind their teeth at night may be suffering from:

• Hyperactivity
• Sleep apnoea
• Acid reflux

Interestingly, even when stress is lessened, the habit is likely to continue. That’s a problem because of the physical problems it causes.

Negative Effects of Teeth Grinding

Over time, the repetitive stress of jaw tightening and teeth grinding can cause:

• Pain
• Tooth fracture
• Damage to tooth enamel
• Headaches
• TMJ Syndrome
• Muscle problems
• Inhibited chewing
• Restricted range of motion
• Facial wrinkles

If you are experiencing these symptoms of grinding your teeth, you should contact a doctor. They can assess your symptoms and determine whether bruxism is the cause and cosmetic injectables might be the answer.

Injections for Teeth Grinding

Prior to prescribing injections to prevent jaw clenching and teeth grinding, your doctor is likely to recommend:

• A night-time mouth guard
• Cutting back on caffeine
• Improve oral hygiene
• Limiting alcohol consumption near bedtime
• Muscle relaxing exercises
• Improved sleep habits
• Biofeedback

When these treatments fail, muscle-relaxing injections may succeed. The same formulation doctors use to relax muscles in the upper part of the face can be used to reduce tooth grinding and jaw clenching. Depending on your doctor’s analysis of the problem, injections can be made into the frontalis, temporalis, and masseter muscles. Effects of the injections are usually noticeable in a day or two, though some patients wait up to two weeks to feel full relief.

Anti-wrinkle injections are considered a low-risk, high-reward treatment for grinding your teeth. As for the cost, that will be determined by the number of units you need to achieve your goal based on the strength of the muscles being injected. Many clinics offer discounted packages to make the treatment for grinding your teeth more affordable. In Australia, the average cost is between $400 and $660.

Anti-Wrinkle Injection Plus Dermal Filler for Bruxism

Choosing anti-wrinkle injections to treat teeth grinding and jaw clenching has a track record of success…and an unexpected benefit/drawback. The treatment tends to create a slim, V-shaped facial shape that accentuates the cheeks. For patients whose faces are already losing collagen and fat, anti-wrinkle injections may add to the problem. For these people, dermal filler injections can work to add volume and create more appealing lines.

In the hands of a skilled injector, injectable treatments are almost painless. Most people undergo a series of injections. A typical regimen is injections every 8 weeks until symptoms are alleviated, and aesthetic goals are achieved. The benefits of cosmetic injections for teeth grinding can last as long as six months and can be repeated as needed.

Bonus good news: The more injections you have over time, the more effective they are at keeping muscle movement to a minimum.

If you suspect that you may be grinding your teeth and aren’t certain what to do next, We can help. Contact Costhetics and let us help you find a specialist in your area.