I Got Masseter Botox to Stop Grinding My Teeth

First, it’s important to note that jaw Botox is an off-label use, which means that the FDA hasn’t approved botulinum toxin to be used in this capacity, and there are possible complications you should be aware of. Because the treatment is still fairly new, the medical community hasn’t determined whether it’s safe to use as a longterm treatment. (A 2014 study found that repeated injections of Botox into the muscle near the jaw may cause bone loss and related problems. And the National Institutes of Health is currently still working on a five-year study of the risks.) While many board-certified dermatologists offer the procedure for short-term pain relief, some dentists and maxillofacial surgeons have cautioned overuse.

Armed with that knowledge and after a visit with dermatologist and Royal Fern skin care founder Timm Golueke, I decided it was the best temporary fix for my jaw pain. (Of course, you should always talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.)

How does masseter Botox work?

The procedure as a whole was fairly quick. There are four Botox injections total, two on each side, directed straight into your masseter jaw muscles. You can feel this muscle along the side of your lower jaw when your teeth are clenched; it controls chewing and the raising of your jawbone. But when it’s in a constant state of tension, you may spend many mornings waking up to headaches, jaw pains, and (eventually) Swiss cheese molars, none of which are a particularly good time.

According to Dr. David Shafer, MD, FACS, a double board-certified plastic surgeon and founder of Shafer Clinic Plastic Surgery Fifth Avenue, muscle contractions can be controlled through neurotoxins. “Botox works by decreasing the nerve signals to the muscle,” he says. “For the masseter, this results in decreased bulk of the muscle and a more defined jawline. People can naturally have large masseter muscles or have acquired muscle hypertrophy from chewing gum, grinding their teeth, or other similar reasons.” This can cause asymmetry in the jaw.

If you suffer from a clenched jaw or bruxism, you’re an especially good candidate for masseter Botox treatment. “For patients that grind at night or have TMJ (temporomandibular joint), the masseter Botox also has the added benefit of decreasing the strength of the muscle and relaxing the jaw.”

What happens during the procedure?

Golueke instructed me to turn my head to the side and bite down before giving me two quick jabs toward the back of my jaw, and delivering four units of Botox to that side of my face. Each injection lasted perhaps half a second and was over before I could fully react to the sensation of a tiny needle plunging into my skin. We then repeated the process on the other side. I would love to report more details about this procedure, but that was the end of it. There was no swelling, no pain, no need to ice-pack the injection site. Zero downtime. In fact, there was no need to even look in the mirror at this point—because the benefits of masseter Botox would take two weeks to show.