{"id":18169,"date":"2021-01-26T11:24:38","date_gmt":"2021-01-26T19:24:38","guid":{"rendered":"https://www.realself.com\/news\/?p=18169"},"modified":"2023-10-11T15:01:43","modified_gmt":"2023-10-11T22:01:43","slug":"botox-for-bruxism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https://www.realself.com\/news\/botox-for-bruxism","title":{"rendered":"I\u2019ve Been Sleeping Poorly for Years. Botox Changed That Overnight."},"content":{"rendered":"

Adulthood, to me, isn’t defined by securing that prestigious dream job, getting married, or having children—no, I believe you truly become an adult when all your conversations begin with “I slept horribly last night.” Using that benchmark, I’ve been an adult since I was at least 27 years old, and over the past five years, I’ve tried a lot of tricks in pursuit of quality sleep.<\/p>

These solutions are often just that—tricks, which might give you a few nights of relief (if you’re lucky). My short-lived quick fixes have included melatonin-spiked gummy vitamins; CBD, in all its iteration, blackout curtains; multiple weighted blankets; and endlessly looping tracks of whalesong. But as a seasoned beauty editor, I was stunned when two quick injections of Botox<\/a> turned out to be my savior, giving me two months<\/em> of blissful beauty sleep. <\/p>

For the uninitiated, Botox and neurotoxins like it<\/a> don’t solely smooth wrinkles, though it’s this property that motivated me to get injected in the first place. The treatment works by blocking nerve signals to the injected area, temporarily preventing muscle contractions. When I got injected in my forehead, Botox inhibited my ability to raise my eyebrows, thus preventing the skin in that area from folding and wrinkling. That’s not what improved my sleep (just my selfies!)—it was getting treated with Botox in my jaw muscles that helped combat a root cause of my poor slumber: bruxism. <\/p>

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What is bruxism?<\/h2>

Bruxism is the formal term for teeth grinding and clenching (“bruxing”). Some people do it during the day, some do it at night, and of course, plenty of people do both. It’s particularly common among children, and while many of them grow out of it, it’s believed that 10% of American adults have bruxism<\/a>. However, that number is an estimate, as not everyone knows they’re suffering from it, especially sleep bruxers. (I’ve always clenched during the day, but only realized I was also doing it at night when I started using invisible aligners.) And it’s sleep bruxism that can cause serious issues. <\/p>

“I would argue bruxism is a sleep disorder, since it’s a behavior that is not normal during sleep,” explains Michael Breus, Ph.D., a Los Angeles–based clinical psychologist also known as The Sleep Doctor<\/a>. “The jaw clenching and movement will force the brain to stay in a lighter stage of sleep … thus people will often report being sleep-deprived.”<\/p>

If left untreated, bruxism can lead to temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ) and continued tooth damage—Breus notes that dental stress fractures are quite common—but the sleep deprivation it causes can lead to even more health concerns. According to the division of sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School, studies show a correlation between poor sleep and a risk for chronic diseases, including diabetes and heart disease, and mood disorders like depression and anxiety.<\/p>

And here’s the catch-22: poor sleep can lead to depression and anxiety, yet Breus points out that these mood disorders and stress can also cause<\/em> bruxism (though it can also be a side effect of some medications or a symptom of sleep apnea). “I would argue bruxism is an extension of anxiety,” he says. Even more frustratingly, teeth grinding is worsened by sleep deprivation.<\/p>

When I asked if it were possible to train oneself out of this problematic teeth clenching, he pointed out that less stress would result in less bruxism—so chill out, basically. Easier said than done, especially after the year we just lived through. And while I work hard at being less reactive to stress while I’m awake, all bets are off once my subconscious takes over, after dark. The most common treatment for bruxism is a bespoke mouthguard to wear overnight, but another popular treatment—Botox injections—directly addresses the muscles responsible<\/em> for the grinding. <\/p>

How do Botox and other neurotoxins treat bruxism?<\/h2>

Here’s an exercise: bite down firmly, then place your fingertips along your jawline. As you get to know the area, clench your teeth and release. You may feel a pair of muscles bulging and relaxing about an inch up from the “corner” of your jawbone, approximately an inch toward your nose from your earlobe. These are your masseters, the muscles responsible for mandibular tension and the area injected when treating bruxism. <\/p>

“Any and all bruxism can be <\/em>treated with neurotoxins,” explains Dr. Ava Shamban<\/a>, a board-certified dermatologist based in Beverly Hills, California. “Once the muscles are blocked, grinding, clenching, and pressure will resolve, to an extent.” If you’re suffering from pain and soreness in your teeth from your bruxism, you’ll experience relief as your neurotoxin kicks in. <\/p>

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