Teeth Grinding / BRUXISM

The Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) is a joint that connects your jaw to the skull. TMJ Disorder (TMD) is a complex, painful and poorly understood condition.

Bruxism refers to the grinding or clenching one’s teeth unconsciously, particularly during sleep but in some cases in an awake state. It is one of the leading causes of TMD. There are a lot of reasons for bruxism: stress, habit, concentration, side effect of certain medications and sleep problems.

While TMD symptoms vary between patients, if left untreated, it can cause the following symptoms:

• severe tooth wear
• cracked fillings
• tight and painful jaw muscles
• muscular headaches
• face and neck pain
• restricted and painful jaw opening

How we can help?

At Mediface we recommend a local variety of methods to treat your teeth grinding in Melbourne. While TMJ surgery is used to correct advanced cases of TMD, other treatment options include:

• custom made night guard worn over a period of months (oral appliance that prevents night grinding/clenching)
• relaxation and awareness therapy
• stress relief methods
• anti-inflammatory medications
• massage/manipulation treatments
• tooth damage repair and adjustments
• combination therapy

One of the most effective and least-invasive methods involves the use of injectable medications for teeth grinding. (Anti-Wrinkle Injections)

Anti-Wrinkle injections for treatment of TMD/Bruxism

By injecting a purified protein solution into the masseter muscle – the large muscle that moves the jaw – the medication helps to weaken the tensed-up muscle. By reducing the ability of the muscle to contract as forcefully, this reduces the pressure on the associated TMJ, leading to relief of symptoms and reduction in teeth grinding and clenching.

Why do it at your dentist’s clinic?

The main benefit of undergoing the Injectable Medication treatment at a dental clinic is your dentist having the experience and knowledge of treating TMJ. We are in the best position to recommend the most suitable course of action, based on your dental history, a through dental examination and the severity of your TMD.

In addition to the Injectable Medication, your dentist may also recommend other treatments – such as the Customised Night Guard – or use a combination of different treatment options to offer you the best solution.

What is the procedure?

After diagnosing that the TMD/Bruxism/Facial pain has a muscular component and determining the required dose, 1 – 4 injections are made into the masseter muscle from the outside of the face on each side. The whole procedure takes minutes to complete. It is a temporary, safe and minimally invasive procedure. Come and see us for a chat about your teeth grinding in our Melbourne clinic and see how we can help.