BOTOX FOR THE MASSETER MUSCLE

A 28 year old female came to our office seeking help for her facial pain and TMJ. She also revealed that she did not like her picture being taken and state that “my face looks fat.” She confirmed a history of waking up regularly with migraine headaches and teeth grinding. She reported that she had sought out numerous medical providers for the headaches and grinding and had through rounds of physical therapy, multiple mouth guards and was prescribed pain medication for hear migraines, yet with no success and relief.

A clinical examination revealed a thick masseter muscle on this patient. The masseter muscle has a tendency to get thicker in individuals who grind their teeth or have Bruxism – which is clenching tightly at night due to anxiousness, stress or out of a habit. With prolonged clenching (Bruxism) and grinding, that muscle gets thicker and thicker over time, which leads to a wider and square face.
In addition to experiencing orofacial pain, patients who suffer from stress-grinding, wear down their teeth and can cause damage to their enamel.

Botox is an injectable muscle relaxer. It uses onabotulinumtoxinA, a neurotoxin that can temporarily paralyze the muscle. She underwent a simple and relative painless treatment with Botox in her masseter muscle to relax the muscle and not be able to grind, clench and bite down as hard. In addition to getting the therapeutic effect of jaw Botox, it can be used the contour and slim the face. This is achieved by targeting the bulky part of the masseter muscle. These muscles can give the face a square and angular shape.

This procedure is referred to as masseter reduction and can take 50-100 units of Botox per side depending on the size of the masseter muscle.
The patient came for a follow up four weeks later saying, “I have not felt this great in a long time. This has truly changed my life. I am not longer taking prescription medication for my migraines. I love the way I look now and my face is so feminine.”

This is a typical reaction when a patient receives botox for the masseter muscle treatment and it gives me goosebumps every time. Life changing for patients and an elevation in their quality of life – so rewarding!
The amount of Botox needed to treat this area ranges between 60 and 100 units of Botox, depending on the size or bulkiness of the muscle. Patients can expect headaches and clenching to go away within a week and will see the full effects of jaw thinning about one month after treatment, when the muscle has had time to atrophy

MASSETER MUSCLE TREATMENT TIPS

Botox for the masseter muscle is ideal for patients who are clenching, grinding, and wearing down their teeth resulting in needing a lot of expensive dental work. It is great for patients who frequently suffer from tension or migraine headaches, and for women who are not happy with the shape of their face because of square or thick jaw line and seek a more feminine appearance.

This treatment has limited side effect of some minor bruising if any. You can’t even see pinprick of the injection site. There’s no swelling, no downtime. Patients can go back to work and their normal activities, even exercise. Most people come in during their lunch break and need not even take time off work.
Here is a list of benefits for jaw Botox:

• managing teeth grinding
• reducing jaw tension, orofacial pain, and clenching
• relieving migraines and headaches
• contouring a square jaw
• creating a balanced face shape

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms or would like to have a slimmer face, find out if jaw Botox is for you.

Call 410-296-4400 and schedule a consultation with Dr. Dina Sanchez, a trained injector by the American Academy of Facial Esthetics