Teeth Grinding and Jaw Clenching Treatment in Marylebone, London
Treatment for bruxism, jaw clenching and the jaw pain that comes with them, at Dr. Toro Aesthetics in Marylebone and St John’s Wood. A mouth guard protects your teeth; it does not stop the muscle.
Overview
What is actually happening when you grind
Most people who grind their teeth have no idea they are doing it. It happens at night or during concentration, and the evidence arrives second hand: a dentist pointing out worn enamel, a partner describing the noise, a morning headache, or the jaw aching by the afternoon.
The muscle doing it is the masseter, the thick chewing muscle at the angle of the jaw. Like any muscle worked hard and often, it gets stronger and larger over time, which produces two separate problems at once. Clinically, that force wears enamel, cracks fillings and veneers, and refers pain into the jaw, temples and neck. Cosmetically, an enlarged masseter widens the lower face, which is why some people notice their jaw squaring off in their thirties.
A mouth guard is worth having, because it protects the teeth from the force. What it does not do is reduce the force, which is why people wear one for years and still wake up with a sore jaw. Treating the muscle directly is the part that addresses the cause, and it is the treatment Dr Toro uses.
How grinding and clenching show up
Jaw ache and facial pain
Worst in the morning if you grind at night, worst by the afternoon if you clench through the day. It refers into the temples, the ear and the neck.
Headaches on waking
A dull headache at the temples on waking is one of the commonest presentations, and one of the most commonly attributed to something else.
Worn, chipped or cracked teeth
Flattened edges, chipped enamel, cracked fillings and failed veneers. Usually spotted by a dentist before the patient notices anything.
A jawline that has squared off
An enlarged masseter widens the lower face. For some patients this is the reason they come in, and the grinding turns out to be the explanation.
Poor sleep, yours or your partner’s
Grinding disrupts sleep quality even when it does not wake you, and it is frequently a partner who reports it first.
A mouth guard that is not solving it
The guard protects the teeth from the force but does nothing about the force itself, which is why the jaw pain and headaches carry on.
Why it happens
What causes teeth grinding?
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Stress and anxiety, which is the commonest driver and often the one people recognise last
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Sleep-related factors, including disrupted sleep and sleep-disordered breathing
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Bite and dental alignment problems, which are a dentist’s territory rather than a clinic’s
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Caffeine, alcohol, smoking and some recreational drugs, all of which increase night-time grinding
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Certain medications, including some antidepressants
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Habit and concentration clenching, which is daytime rather than nocturnal and often goes entirely unnoticed
Treatment approach
How Dr Toro treats teeth grinding and jaw clenching
Anti-Wrinkle Injections
From £185The main treatment. A carefully measured dose is placed into the masseter to reduce its excessive activity, which relieves jaw tension and pain, reduces grinding and clenching, protects the teeth from further wear and slims the jawline as the muscle reduces. Treatment takes about 20 minutes, with results from 2 days to 2 weeks and full slimming at around 4 weeks. Priced at consultation.
See treatment detail →Dermal Fillers
From £300Occasionally relevant afterwards, where reducing a heavy masseter reveals a chin or jaw that now looks under-projected. Assessed after the muscle treatment has settled rather than at the same time. From £300.
See treatment detail →FAQ
Frequently asked
questions
How does treating the muscle stop me grinding?
A measured dose placed into the masseter reduces how hard it can contract. You can still chew normally, but the force available for grinding and clenching is lower, which is what relieves the jaw pain and protects the teeth. It treats the mechanism rather than shielding your teeth from it.
Is masseter treatment the same as Botox for the jaw?
Yes. It uses the same prescription medicine most people know as Botox, placed into the chewing muscle rather than into a facial expression line. The dose is considerably larger than a cosmetic area because the masseter is a thick, powerful muscle, which is why it is priced and assessed separately.
How long before it works?
Most people notice reduced grinding, less jaw discomfort and better sleep somewhere between 2 days and 2 weeks. Visible slimming of the jawline takes longer, usually around 4 weeks, because the muscle has to reduce in bulk rather than simply relax. Results typically last 3 to 6 months.
Will my face change shape?
The lower face usually softens as the muscle reduces, which many patients want and a few do not. Dr Toro will ask which camp you are in before treating and dose accordingly. If a slimmer jaw is not what you want, that is a conversation to have first rather than afterwards.
Should I still wear my mouth guard?
Yes, unless your dentist says otherwise. The guard protects the surfaces of your teeth and the treatment reduces the force being applied to them, so the two do different jobs. Keep seeing your dentist, particularly if you already have crowns, veneers or restorations.
Can you treat my TMJ problem?
Treating the masseter often relieves jaw tension and pain that comes with clenching. But TMJ disorder covers several different problems, some of them within the joint itself and some dental, which need a dentist or a maxillofacial specialist. Dr Toro will tell you when what you have is outside what she should treat.
Get Started
Book your consultation
with Dr Toro
Dr. Toro Aesthetics • 1 Orchard Street, UNTIL Marylebone, London W1H 6HJ • Kailash Centre, 7 Newcourt Street, London NW8 7AA
BookConsultations are £90 and include a written treatment and skincare plan.