River banks

Carla Ball, 32, a children's author from London, underwent Botox treatment after suffering from tired, aching and enlarged jaw muscles for years. Her dentist failed to diagnose the problem and it was only when a friend suggested that teeth grinding or clenching might be to blame that she researched the problem.

'I used to wake up with jaw pain and headaches that got worse when I was under stress at work and really busy, but I didn't know what caused them,' she says. 'My jaw was also much wider than my cheeks, which didn't really run in my family. When I saw a consultant privately, he told me my masseter muscle was huge, possibly because of clenching and grinding. I was fortunate that my teeth hadn't been badly affected as I clenched more than ground them together. 'I had a Botox injection in the muscle on each side of my jaw and within days the tension in my jaw had stopped. I have them every six months and don't get the pain I used to have as long as I also keep the stress and tiredness under control.' Carla Ball, London

Belinda Holt, 44, from Harpenden received Azzalure® treatments for her Bruxism which is an alternative form of Botox.

"For many years I had suffered with bad headaches, sore jaw ,stiff neck and disrupted sleep as a result of teeth clenching. My first port of call was to speak to my dentist who fitted me with a mouth guard, but because my mouth/jaw was so sore I could not use it. After a consultation with Dr Jain he suggested Botox which I tried and have to say the results are fantastic! All my symptoms have disappeared and my quality of sleep has improved immensely. Thank-you Dr Jain"
Belinda Holt, Harpenden

What Is Bruxism?

Bruxism is the medical term for teethgrinding, typically accompanied by clenching of the jaw. The name comes from the Greek brugmós, meaning gnashing of the teeth.

Bruxism is an oral condition that occurs in many people at some time in their lives; however is not considered a health problem in most cases, often being a relatively mild and intermittent condition.

While Bruxism may be a day or night activity it is commonly recognised as a sleep disorder as it is during sleep that the majority of health issues can be caused. Bruxism is even known to occur during cat naps and gentle dozing.

 
Botox As A Treatment for Bruxism

Botox (botulinum toxin) is a commonly used medical treatment for Bruxism which can be seen to lessen the effects of Bruxism in a relatively short time, although each treatment will be an individual experience. Botox treatment for Bruxism can be completed in around ten or 15 minutes with results often visible within a few days.
However, it must be warned that side-effects of Botox injection can occur such as reduced bite strength. Sometimes bruising can occur however this is not frequent. Full details will be discussed during your consultation. 

So what can you do?

That’s easy – talk to Dr Ravi Jain at Riverbanks Clinic; he’s an expert in the use of highly advanced and specialised techniques that will reduce the strength and size of your masseter muscles without stopping you chewing your food. This is achieved using very fine, almost painless injections of Botulinum Toxin (such as Botox, Dysport or Azzalure). Within a few days your sleep pattern, headaches and teeth grinding should reduce. You will be reviewed regularly to ensure that your symptoms are fully controlled. 

What now?

For more information, please call our team on 0844 704 7676.
You can also fill in our booking or enquiry forms here.