Living / 20 July, 2021 / Ellie Thompson
Can help Botox help Bruxism? We take a look at how new online platform UNNDOO is coming to the rescue of teeth grinders and jaw clenchers all over London and beyond.
These days, we live life at 100mph and some of us will tend to hold a lot of the tension in our jaw which consequently leads to unexplained jaw and neck pains. Most of the time, people are unaware that they clench or grind their teeth. As 70% of clenching and grinding occurs when we are sleeping, it is often noted by a partner, who will become aware of the horrible sound of teeth grinding against each other in the middle of the night. This involuntary habit is otherwise known as Bruxism. Named after the Greek word ‘to chew’, Bruxism causes the masseter muscle to become overworked and over develop leading to the square jaw look.
Bruxism is more common now than ever due to individuals going through increased stress and anxiety due to the global pandemic.
There are tell-tell signs of teeth clenching or grinding and they include:
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Botox is considered to be a successful treatment for teeth grinding and clenching. Injecting small doses of Botox (botulinum toxin) directly into the jaw/masseter muscle works to weaken the muscle enough to stop the habitual grinding of the teeth and clenching of the jaw. So the answer is ‘yes’. Botox can help Bruxism.
Dr Pujaa Patel, founder of UNNDOO has this to say: “The number of patients attending with typical symptoms of Temporomandibular Jaw Dysfunction otherwise known TMJD has been on the increase, with it becoming more prevalent over the past 18 months with the pandemic. Patients are now more than ever aware of the use of Botox to relieve these symptoms and our patients report that it has helped their symptoms by at least 50%. Due to the large muscle and habitual actions, multiple treatments every six months provide a gradual sense of relief and it is proving to be a game-changing treatment for the TMJD sufferers.’
Botox is thought to relax the jaw muscles and effectively reduce the wear and tear on the teeth.
Following a consultation, the skin is cleansed and then small injections of Botox are injected into the overworked muscles on both sides of the jaw. This painless procedure takes less than 10 minutes and then you can get back to whatever you were doing before. With UNNDOO, this can all happen in the comfort of your own home. Once the Botox starts to take the effect, those overworked muscles will start to relax which in turn reduces the pressure on the jaw, neck and temple region. This will mean fewer headaches and jaw pain.
UNNDOO is a new online platform that allows clients to book aesthetic injectors to perform treatments in the comfort of their own homes. With many people feeling more apprehensive about travelling around town, the UNNDOO
service could not have come at a better time. The easy-to-navigate website filters clients with qualified and experienced medical professionals by offering a choice of aesthetic treatments using Botulinum Toxin.
Clients simply need to enter their postcode, appointment time, desired treatment and pick a medical professional of their choice. Set up by dentist and trained medical professional Dr Pujaa Patel and partner Vishal Ladwa, UNNDOO’s key objective is to provide the same level of treatment and hygiene you would receive in a clinic. Pujaa works as a dentist in one of South East London’s top dental practices. She’s been interested in facial aesthetics since working as part of a hospital Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Team. She has developed a meticulous eye by treating patients with facial injuries as a result of trauma, and she uses this intricate attention to detail to treat her current aesthetic patients to ensure that she achieves a natural result.
At UNNDOO, the majority of their practitioners are dentists. They have an in-depth knowledge of the jaw and the muscles and how they function, so they are also able to offer some additional advice and tips to ensure that you get the best result possible.
I’ve been grinding my teeth for a grand total of twenty years now. I’ve been wearing a specially made gumshield at night since 2003. Using a gumshield protects my teeth against the damage of clenching and grinding, but it doesn’t stop the shooting pains I experience around my jaw, my head and around my neck and shoulders. Not to mention the continual face ache that goes with it.
After ten years of grinding, and being passed from dentist to doctor in search of a solution, I had my wisdom teeth removed, which didn’t make any difference. I was left feeling quite frustrated at losing two healthy teeth! I had an MRI scan that proved my left jaw joint in particular had experienced a great deal of wear and tear, and I think knowing that, only exacerbated my worrying.
In around 2011, I was prescribed amitriptyline for the pain. After a few months, I decided I no longer wanted to be taking painkillers long-term, and so instead, I tried hypnotherapy, which I found really useful. It took a while to find a reputable practitioner, but I did, and Meira Shore worked with me to tackle both issues: stress and specifically, teeth grinding. Meria sent me away with two hypnotherapy sessions (one for stress, one for grinding) via mp3 to use ongoing. I found the practice of hypnotherapy helped massively in reducing stress and the grinding I was experiencing, and I was able to come off amitriptyline and not experience the pain and discomfort of Bruxism. I still revisit those mp3s when I need them, and they’re brilliant for use just before bed to help reduce the tension in my jaw. Ten years on, my Bruxism is largely under control, but it IS still happening, so when details of UNNDOO arrived in my inbox, I was excited to give them a whirl.
The treatment was quick, and painless – and my practitioner Paras noted that the muscle on left side of my face was bigger – so we know when I grind, I tend to do so on that side of my face. Two weeks on, I’m starting to notice that I’m not plagued by sharp face pains or face ache, and the symptoms of Bruxism have eased even more.
If you’re reading this and my story is sounding all too familiar, then my personal advice to you is to speak to your dentist, definitely try hypnotherapy, and make an appointment to talk to the professionals at UNNDOO to find out if Botox could be a useful treatment for you. Can Botox help Bruxism? Most definitely, and it’s a treatment I will be looking to continue.
Head over to UNNDOO to book your at-home treatment today. Good luck!
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