When you suffer from TMJ disorder or bruxism (chronic teeth grinding), then this could cause discomfort and lead to major complications. But our team can offer a unique treatment option to bring relief, and also improve facial esthetic at the same time. With this treatment, we can administer a medication in one visit that eases jaw joint strain to bring relief and prevent dental damage, while also offering a more youthful appearance too. In today’s blog, your Lake Orion, MI, dentist talks about BOTOX® treatment, which can help treat these disorders and offer relief for months to come!
TMJ Disorder
TMJ disorder is an oral health issue that can impact all ages, and occurs when the bite develops imbalance that strains the jaw joints, the ones connecting your jaw and skull. The imbalance could be the result of factors like tooth loss, misalignment, injury, untreated bruxism, or issues with the growth of your smile. Symptoms vary, but could include headaches, migraines, jaw and facial pain, earaches, and popping or clicking sensations in the jaw. Overtime, this could lead to issues fully opening and closing your mouth, and further discomfort.
Bruxism
Bruxism means that you grind and clench your teeth on a nightly basis, which places enormous pressure on your smile and increases the risk of serious complications, such as worn down or damaged teeth, leading to tooth decay and dental infection. Your smile stability could be at risk! Like TMJ disorder, this could be brought on by changes to your bite balance, and could also be the result of a high level of stress in your daily life. Don’t risk damaged teeth and painful symptoms, talk to our team when you notice persistent pain in and around your smile, or if your significant other lets you know that you grind your teeth. Our team can also discuss treatments to help address the damage and repair your smile following treatment, such as dental bonding and contouring, or even a custom crown or a porcelain veneer. We want you to feel confident following treatment, and avoid hiding your smile from the world.
The BOTOX® System
Our team could offer relief from both of these disorders with the use of Botox®. This treatment is administered by one of our team members, Dr. Ashleigh O’Brien. She has been trained and certified by the Aesthetic Medical Educators Training Program and earned certifications in Botulinum Toxin Type A Therapy and Dermal Filler with applications for therapeutics, orofacial pain, and introduction to facial cosmetics. She can administer the medication during your checkup and cleaning visit, or during an appointment to address TMJ dysfunction and teeth grinding. The application takes only a short period, and the results last about six months, so we can re-administer as needed in follow-up exam and cleaning visits. The medication interrupts signals in your facial muscles to prevent complications, which eases stress and strain. As a result, this can prevent TMJ symptoms and also episodes of teeth grinding.
Our team may recommend this on its own, or combine treatment with an oral appliance, a custom device that fits like a mouthguard and is worn as you sleep. The mouthguard helps reposition the jaw to ease pressure on the joints, and provides a barrier between the upper and lower teeth to stop damage from grinding and clenching, so you avoid broken or chipped teeth!
Improving Facial Beauty
Did you know that the treatment also has cosmetic applications too? By stopping the contraction of facial muscles, this helps smooth away the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the nose and mouth, and in the forehead, so you have a more youthful appearance. Again, these results can last for months to come, and can be re-administered during checkup and cleaning visits every few months. This, combined with our cosmetic treatments like teeth whitening or porcelain veneers, can help you obtain a stunning new smile. If you have any questions about how we diagnose and treat issues related to jaw joint strain with Botox®, then contact our team today. We look forward to helping you obtain stunning results that ease discomfort and help you smile with confidence.
TALK TO YOUR LAKE ORION, MI, DENTIST ABOUT OUR TREATMENT OPTIONS
We want to help you enjoy relief from the discomfort of TMJ disorder or bruxism, and to also enjoy improved facial esthetics in the same visit, so you feel comfortable with your smile and your facial beauty too. Find out more about how we bring relief and cosmetic improvement to smiles of all ages suffering from TMD and grinding by contacting Lake Orion Family Dentistry at (248)693-6213!
