Botox: It's not just for breakfast (or wrinkles) anymore!

 Hello and Happy Smiles to my "Youth Fairy Squad" members!

 

Has anyone else been feeling a bit stressed out lately? I have certainly noticed a large increase in the amount of patients that are clenching and/or grinding their teeth. A lot more broken teeth, sensitive teeth, headaches and broken fillings have been showing up in my chair this past year.

Clenching and grinding are all habits that are often done subconsciously and are thus very hard to stop. They can cause microfractures in your enamel, cold sensitivity, pain in the face, pain in the TM joints, headaches, and often complete tooth fracture. Even neck and shoulder pain, earaches and ringing, and eye pain can be contributed to clenching and grinding your teeth.

 

Wearing a nightguard or bruxism appliance will protect your teeth and joints from the wear and tear from this habit, but they do not stop the problem. And most people actually clench and grind as much, if not more, during the day as they do at night.  So unless you are wearing your nightguard 24/7 it will not protect your teeth from damage. They are essentially a band aid that is worn only while you sleep.

               

         
Botox, Xeomin, Dysport and Jeuveau are all neuromodulators that weaken specific targeted muscles eliminating your ability to clench and grind with the usual full strength of these muscles. This can greatly reduce or eliminate the adverse effects associated with this habit.

                              

Just like any other muscle in the body, the jaw muscles (the masseters), when weakened with a neuromodulator (Botox or Xeomin), will atrophy and become smaller. This can also result in a slimmer jawline. It also means that future treatments will last longer due to the smaller muscle and will also usually require less units to treat.

Neuromodulator treatments vary in the amount of time it will last depending on several factors including the size of the muscle being treated and the amount that muscle gets used. When used to treat the jaw muscles the usual duration is between 3 and 5 months. However, as mentioned, each successive treatment usually requires a smaller amount and will usually last longer. The first year of therapy may require 2-4 treatments spaced several months apart. Eventually this should reduce to 1-2 treatments a year.

Neuromodulator injections do not give you botulism. Botox and Xeomin are derived from the same bacteria that causes the severe food poisoning however they are simply a protein from the bacteria that is non-toxic and inactive. It is dispensed in amounts called units. Each unit is $13/unit. Most jaw muscles are treated with between 10-30 units each side. It takes 2-5 days for the affect to begin, with a week to 2 weeks for the full affect. After 2 weeks, the muscles are reevaluated, and often additional enhancement units are needed to get the desired relaxation levels. Since these materials are only reversed with time, and amounts are unique to individual, it is best to start with a minimal (small) dose and work up to the optimum amount in smaller increments after 2 weeks. Most enhancement amounts are an additional 5-10 units each side which are treatment planned at your 2-week reevaluation appointment, if needed.

Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) and Xeomin (incobotulinumtoxinA) are essentially the same materials just different brand names. Xeomin does not contain any additives and is considered “pure-form”. It is more affordable and tends to stay in the area that is being treated much better. I also use another brand Jeuveau that I really like. This product is once again a variant of the botulinum protein, but what I like about this product is that it will start working several days sooner and usually lasts a little while longer. The downside is it is usually a lot more costly. However, when I can catch it on special discounted price I will use this every time for my patients and I am able to offer it at the same $13/unit.

If you would like more information or to set up an appointment,

 please call Phyllis at 941-625-5141.

Stay well and sunshine smiles to all of you!