What is Bruxism?
Bruxism is grinding and clenching of the teeth, associated with unconscious contractions of the temporal and masseter muscles; it may occur either while awake or during sleep. Bruxism is often an underdiagnosed condition that leads to dental problems, but also to pain in teeth, jaw, temporomandibular joint and neck, headaches and, potentially, to tooth loss. Some of the persons suffering from bruxism develop masseter hypertrophy, the jawlines become excessively prominent and the facial shape is square.
The causes of bruxism are not known, but it is thought stress and anxiety may cause tension in the jaw and that antidepressants may also be a trigger.
There are two main types of bruxism: the first - occurs during sleep (sleep bruxism) and the second occurs during wakefulness (awake bruxism).
Awake bruxism has different causes from sleep bruxism and is more common in females, whereas males and females are affected in equal proportions by sleep bruxism. People who clench or grind their teeth (brux) during sleep are more likely to have other sleep disorders, such as snoring and pauses in breathing (sleep apnea).
To treat this condition, a few injections of BOTOX® are administered into the main muscle responsible for grinding, the masseter muscle. BOTOX® effectively weakens this muscle but does not affect eating, chewing or talking.
My substance of choice for treating bruxism or teeth grinding is ARGIRELINE,
the perfect BOTOX alternative, with a mild , non-toxic muscle relaxant effect.
Like BOTOX® injections for teeth grinding, Argireline also has an aesthetic benefit. In some cases, teeth grinding over time may cause hypertrophy or enlargement of the masseter muscle (chewing muscle). This may result in an enlarged, square jawline.
In these patients, ARGIRELINE may serve to reduce the appearance of the muscle, creating a narrower, more youthful “V-shaped” and feminine jawline.
In addition to smoothing wrinkles, ARGIRELINE can be used to slim and contour the face. This is achieved by targeting the masseter muscles at the back of the jaw. The procedure is referred to as masseter reduction.
It should be noted that the patients treated for teeth grinding also report a
significant decrease in their general stress level.
The duration of the effects is generally 3-4 months, so in order to benefit from
the positive results, the treatment must be repeated. This should not be a concern
- ARGIRELINE is also a cost effective alternative to BOTOX.
