Bruxism, commonly known as teeth grinding, occurs when a person unconsciously clenches or grinds their teeth. This often happens at night, making it difficult to control. Over time, this habit can lead to tooth wear, jaw pain, headaches, and potential damage to the teeth.
Relaxants can be used to allow overworked muscles, such as those that play a part in teeth grinding, to relax – as most people clench or grind their teeth at night time, it can be almost impossible to stop grinding any other way. Once injected, it prevents the jaw muscle from contracting as strongly as it did before.
Common signs and symptoms of bruxism include:
If you experience any of these symptoms, it may be beneficial to discuss them with a healthcare provider or dentist.
The signs and symptoms may include facial pain, headaches, sensitive teeth and dental wear, jaw pain and discomfort extending to the shoulders in some cases.
Please note depending on the severity of your symptoms and your assessment, we may advise that you attend a dentist to assess whether you need to also use a splint. This is worn in the mouth every night. The benefits of this splint, is that it not only protects your teeth against further damage but can also reduce your symptoms.
Grinding your teeth puts excess pressure on the jaw muscles and teeth, which can lead to:
Many people use a night guard or splint worn during sleep to protect against further tooth wear. However, this doesn’t address the root cause of grinding. An effective option to relax the overactive jaw muscles is muscle relaxing injections:
Depending on the severity of your symptoms, a night guard may still be recommended. While muscle relaxing injections address the root cause by relaxing the jaw muscle, a night guard or splint provides extra protection for your teeth and can further help with symptom management. A dentist can assess whether a splint would be beneficial for you.
Muscle relaxing injections provide a way to reduce the impact of bruxism by calming the overactive jaw muscles. Benefits include:
If you’re interested in exploring muscle relaxing injections to relieve teeth grinding, please reach out to schedule a consultation. We’re here to help you find relief from bruxism and protect your smile for the long term.