Botox and other solutions to teeth grinding in Ladysmith, BC.
Are you waking up constantly with a stiff jaw and sometimes a headache? These are two telltale signs of teeth grinding. If you’ve tried wearing a nightguard, become more conscious of clenching and grinding and just about everything else you can think of–just keep reading.
Dr. Nadia Stymiest, founder of Ladysmith Smiles in Ladysmith, BC was in your exact situation. The teeth grinding from the night before was impacting her day, almost every day. After trying all the typical solutions to bruxism, Dr. Stymiest heard about neuromodulators, more commonly referred to as botox, for teeth grinding. After finding the treatment extremely effective herself, she now is excited to offer botox for teeth grinding to the community of Ladysmith, BC.
What is bruxism?
Bruxism is a condition in which you grind or clench your teeth, usually subconsciously. There are two strands of this condition: awake-bruxism and sleep-bruxism, which occur just as they sound.
What are signs of bruxism?
Since teeth grinding usually happens while sleeping (sleep-bruxism), many individuals are unaware they have bruxism. However, this could be the answer to many of unexplained symptoms:
- Tooth sensitivity or pain
- Unexplained earaches
- Broken or chipped crowns or fillings
- Pain or soreness in the jaw
- Damage on the buccal pouch (the area between the inside of the cheek and the teeth and gums) from gnawing
- Flattened, chipped, fractured, or loose teeth
- Worn tooth enamel, revealing the deeper layers of the tooth
- Temple-based, dull headaches
- Tight or tired jaw muscles
- Sleep disruption or complaints from sleeping partners due to loud tooth-grinding noises
- A locked jaw that makes it impossible to open or close the mouth completely
In cases of awake-bruxism, many of the same symptoms still apply and may be more frequent in times of anger, anxiety, stress, tension, or frustration. If you are experiencing a combination of any of these telltale symptoms, you should seek an examination with your family dentist. To make an appointment with Dr. Nadia Stymiest at Ladysmith Smiles, click here.
Why should I seek treatment for bruxism?
Aside from the discomfort you are most likely experiencing as someone who struggles with chronic grinding, bruxism can result in facturing, loosening and wearing of the teeth that can lead to further discomfort and required treatment. In these cases, bridges, crowns, root canals and even partial or complete dentures may be required. Our goal is to prevent these more serious treatments by getting ahead of the problem.
What are my treatment options for bruxism?
- Mouthguards. At Ladysmith Smiles, we offer custom mouthguards to help prevent damage from teeth grinding using our advanced iTero 3D scanner. Not only is the experience with the iTero a lot more comfortable (no more goopy impression trays), the fit of the mouthguard is far superior to over-the-counter or boil-and-bite options. Wearing a mouthguard at night can help minimize the abrasive grinding, but is not a permanent solution. Mouthguards must be worn every night to protect the teeth and do not improve the actual action of grinding.
- Neuromodulators/Botox. After finding success in her own bruxism treatment with botox, Dr. Nadia Stymiest was eager to help her patients experience the same. By using botox to inject the masseter, frontalis and temporalis muscles, clenching and grinding can be reduced or avoided altogether. Ladysmith dentist, Dr. Stymiest, has firsthand experience in the relieving benefits of botox for bruxism. The neuromodulator helps these muscles relax and therefore, reduces the teeth wear that can lead to serious oral damage.
Each botox treatment at Ladysmith Smiles includes a complimentary consultation with Dr. Stymiest so she can learn about your concerns (whether cosmetic or therapeutic) and work with you to develop the best injectable treatment plan for you. Botox treatments are typically between 15 and 20 minutes with a few additional minutes for post-care instruction.
Botox in Ladysmith, BC
Along with offering therapeutic botox, Ladysmith Smiles offers cosmetic injections to the community of Ladysmith, BC. To book your appointment, contact our team by emailing info@ladysmithsmiles.com or calling us directly at 250-245-8558.