One other facet of bruxism is that it has modified the form of my face lately. Whereas I as soon as had a extra heart-shaped face, with a slanting jawline all the way down to my chin, I’ve seen that my jaw is now noticeably squarer.
Once I clench my jaw within the mirror for Dr. Divya, she factors out how my proper facet, the facet with full enamel, has a a lot stronger muscle and it is rock exhausting once I contact it, like a skilled bicep. “The fitting facet is dominant,” she tells me, “leading to asymmetry.”
This, we decipher, is as a result of I’ve in all probability been subconsciously conscious that I’ve a lacking tooth on my left facet, so the best facet now works more durable once I grind.
“You grit your enamel, you clench your enamel, you erod your enamel, and it is a muscle. When you use it lots, it simply will get greater and greater,” explains Dr. Divya. “So it isn’t only a medical downside, it would additionally enhance the form of your decrease face. One of many advantages of this therapy is that it additionally causes a non-surgical slimming of the jawline.”
What are the unwanted effects of Botox for enamel grinding?
I ask Dr. Divya if this impacts my chewing or speech?
“The masticatory muscle (the primary muscle of the jaw) is a really robust muscle,” she explains. “It is used for speaking, however primarily for chewing. You discover that some people who find themselves used to chewing extra gum on one facet than the opposite, that facet particularly will probably be bulkier as a result of they’re continuously chewing; these muscle is energetic. Botox won’t utterly forestall motion.”
Nevertheless, she provides that at the next dose, you could discover a weakening of your potential to chew. “However with a correct dose, you will discover that the girth is diminished and the clenching is rather less, so should you had a headache whenever you awakened earlier, that might be much less,” says Dr. Divya.
It seems like a riskier process than botox for wrinkles. I say and marvel, will injecting the botox into my masseter muscle have an effect on my smile?
“It would occur if somebody misplaces the Botox,” warns Dr. Diva, emphasizing the significance of seeing a physician earlier than this process.
“If the Botox spreads to the neighboring muscle groups, or if it was injected too near these muscle groups, then that’s certainly a complication that may happen,” she continues. “So we attempt to maintain a margin of security by ensuring there’s an imaginary line and we inject underneath that. Clearly your entire masseter muscle cannot be handled due to that complication, however you’ll be able to drastically cut back its energy.
What occurred in the course of the therapy?
giving
