
There are times when we clench and grind excessively, especially during our sleep. Temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) is a condition that affects our chewing muscles and the temporomandibular/ jaw joint (TMJ).
This can cause:
- tension and pain in the chewing muscles that can radiate to our face, jaw, ears, neck and shoulders and joint (TMJ)
- headaches and migraine
- wear or fracture to our teeth
- difficulty opening our mouth wide
- cheek and tongue trauma
In some patients, relaxing the chewing muscles results in reduced pain and stiffness. This muscular relaxation can be achieved by using a drug called BOTOX®. Botox is a purified form of Botulinum toxin-A which causes profound muscular relaxation (of up to several months duration) when injected into a muscle.