Botox For TMJ
Botox for TMJ and Clenching in Kearny Mesa
Turning down the force.
At a glance
- What it is
- Botox administered into the jaw muscles to reduce the force of clenching and grinding.
- Where
- Kearny Mesa Smile Center, 8018 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92111.
- When
- Fridays and Saturdays, 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
- Administered by
- Dr. Paulo F. Cortes, DMD, certified through the American Academy of Facial Esthetics.
- Appointment length
- A short visit.
- How long it lasts
- Three to four months on average, then repeated.
Your Jaw Muscles AreStronger Than Your Teeth
The muscles that close your jaw are among the strongest in the body for their size. Used normally, that is exactly what you want. Used all night, every night, against nothing, it becomes a demolition project.
People who clench and grind usually do not know they do it. What they know is the symptoms. Waking with a sore or tired jaw. Headaches that start at the temples. Teeth that are sensitive for no reason a filling explains. Teeth that look shorter than they used to. Fillings and crowns that keep breaking.
That last one matters more than it sounds. If you are generating that kind of force overnight, dentistry does not survive it. Crowns crack. Implants come under load they were not designed for. Restorations that should last a decade fail in a few years, and it is nobody's fault except the force going through them.
How Botox for TMJ Works
What it does. Botox is injected into the muscles that close the jaw, mainly the masseter, and sometimes the temporalis. It reduces how hard those muscles can contract. The jaw still works normally for eating and talking. What it cannot do any more is clench at full strength for hours while you sleep.
01. Assessment. Dr. Cortes examines your jaw muscles, your bite, and the wear on your teeth, and asks about your symptoms. Grinding leaves a pattern, and that pattern tells us a great deal.
02. The injections. A few small injections with a fine needle into specific muscles. The appointment is short.
03. Onset. The effect comes on gradually over the following days rather than immediately.
04. Duration. The effect lasts three to four months on average, and is then repeated. Where you fall in that range, we will learn from your first round.
Who This Helps
People who wake with a tight or aching jaw. People with headaches that start in the temples. People whose partner says they grind. People whose teeth are visibly worn down. And in particular, people who have already had dental work fail because of the force they put through it.
How it works alongside a night guard. These are not competing options and one does not replace the other. A night guard protects the surfaces of your teeth from the force. Botox reduces the force itself. Many patients do best with both, and if a guard has not been enough on its own, that is a good reason to talk about this.
It is not for everyone. Dr. Cortes will tell you if he thinks your symptoms are coming from something else, because jaw pain has more than one cause and treating the wrong one wastes your time and money.
Botox for TMJ in Kearny Mesa
Dr. Cortes is certified in facial esthetics through the American Academy of Facial Esthetics, and administers this himself. Appointments are Fridays and Saturdays at 8018 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
You will be told the cost, what to expect, and how long it should last before anything is scheduled.
Questions about Botox for TMJ
This treatment targets the muscles that clench, not the muscles that make expressions. Some patients who clench very heavily have enlarged jaw muscles and notice the jawline soften over time, which most consider a bonus rather than the goal.
The needles are very fine and the appointment is short. Most patients describe it as a brief pinch.
Not immediately. The effect builds over the days following the appointment.
Three to four months on average, then it is repeated. Your first round tells us where in that range you fall, and we schedule around your own timeline after that.
Usually yes. The guard protects your teeth from wear. Botox reduces the force behind it. They do different jobs and they work well together.
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8018 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92111
info@kearnymesasmilecenter.com
Call (858) 256-4838Text (858) 256-4838
Office hours
Friday and Saturday: 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Sunday through Thursday: Closed