Botox is one of the easiest and most effective treatments for TMJ, and yet it’s one most dentists don’t offer to their patients (and usually that’s because it’s they can’t or don’t offer it themselves, or simply aren’t knowledgeable about it). If you’ve been dealing with TMJ pain, Botox injections are worth considering. TMJ can drastically interfere with your daily life, causing facial pain, difficulty chewing, headaches, and more. With a quick and simple treatment session, you can reduce TMJ symptoms without having to rely on painkillers. At Reflections Center for Cosmetic Medicine, our cosmetic physicians can help you learn more about Botox for TMJ and its many alternative treatments.
What is TMJ?
TMJ, or temporomandibular joint disorder, is a painful and common condition. It typically refers to pain or soreness in the jaw, face, and teeth. TMJ disorder can have a lot of different causes, but the most common is due to teeth grinding or clenching. It can also occur from overuse, arthritis, or erosion inside the joint. Most often, TMJ sufferers feel pain or clicking in their jaw joint. TMJ can also cause difficulty chewing, sore cheeks, tension headaches, muscle spasms, myofascial pain, and much more. If you’ve been experiencing jaw or facial pain along with stiffness or clicking in your jaw, you might have TMJ.
Treating TMJ
If you’ve explored treatment for TMJ before, you might have been recommended options like anti-inflammatory pain relief or muscle relaxants. Although these can help alleviate pain, they don’t always treat the underlying cause. TMJ disorder tends to accelerate because even regular chewing and opening the mouth can worsen inflammation in the joint – no less if you’re prone to grinding or clenching while sleeping or in stressful situations. The best TMJ treatments relieve muscle tension and prevent putting more strain on the temporomandibular joint, allowing it to heal. In fact, Botox can do just that!
How TMJ Botox Works
You may be familiar with Botox for chronic migraines, which reduces pain by blocking nerve signals that cause pain. Or you may be familiar with how Botox can reduce wrinkles by reducing the intensity of contracting facial muscles. Botox for TMJ works in both of these ways – reducing the clenching and muscle tightness caused by TMJ and reducing pain signals.
Botox is made with botulinum toxin type A, which can block movement signals when injected into a muscle. For TMJ disorders, Botox can weaken the jaw muscles and reduce their movement while still allowing you to chew, speak, and open your mouth normally. It simply reduces the ability to clench, grind, and strain your temporomandibular joint, allowing inflammation to heal and preventing further damage. This, in turn, can reduce chronic facial pain, neck pain, tension headaches, and more. It’s a novel approach to TMJ disorders and is becoming one of the most popular treatments for this condition.
The Botox for TMJ Injection Procedure
The procedure is completed in the same way as any other Botox injection. Your cosmetic physician will inject Botox into the masseter muscle, which is connected to the jaw along the side of the face. An important part of the Botox injection process is ensuring the product is deep enough into the muscle and is distributed thoroughly through the area. Botox injections are relatively comfortable, and despite the masseter muscle being relatively thick, patients don’t feel additional pain compared to other Botox injections. If pain is a concern, our team can supply a topical numbing cream.
Results typically take 1-2 weeks to manifest, and for some patients, you might require more than one treatment round to effectively control jaw movements. Relieving TMJ pain can take time, and our cosmetic physicians will help you find ways to manage it. As with any Botox procedure, the results are temporary – the body will naturally and safely metabolize the product over time. TMJ patients can expect to require injections every 3-4 months to maintain relief.
The Benefits of TMJ Botox Treatment
The benefits of Botox for TMJ are many. It can reduce common TMJ symptoms like:
- Tightness and pain in the jaw, neck, and face
- Tooth damage
- Ear pain
- Tooth sensitivity or pain
- Headaches
- Poor range of motion in the jaw
- Jaw locking or clicking
One additional benefit is that it can slim the jawline with safe and effective treatment.
Jaw Slimming and Botox for TMJ
While it’s not the primary goal, Botox injections for TMJ can result in a slimmer-looking face. This is typically the result of muscle weakness in the jaw – by weakening the muscles, their volume is reduced. Some patients prefer doing this intentionally, a treatment sometimes called masseter Botox.
Many patients are pleased with this effect – but, of course, others are not interested in changing the appearance of their face. In particular, men typically prefer to have an angular, heavy jaw. So, any volume lost as a result of Botox for TMJ can be restored using fillers such as Radiesse, Sculptra, Juvederm Voluma, or Restylane. Your cosmetic physician will recommend a customized treatment plan to combine Botox for TMJ with the correct nonsurgical jaw augmentation injectable for you.
View Our Botox Before & After Photos Here >>
If you’re concerned about the cosmetic outcome as well, you can learn more about our jawline injections here. Most patients find a combination of injectable procedures is sufficient for tweaks to the jawline, such as creating more definition or a more angular or heart-shaped look, but your individual needs and goals will be discussed and planned for during your free consultation.
Watch a masseter Botox treatment with Dr. Wix-Harris:
Combining Other Treatments With Botox Injections
If your TMJ is significant, we recommend pairing it with alternative treatment options. If you don’t already have one, mouth guards can help prevent damage to your teeth and we recommend talking with your dentist about one. Physical therapy can also help loosen up the joint and relieve pain. Finally, if your jaw tension comes from high levels of stress or anxiety, consider looking into relaxation techniques or talking with a mental health professional. Our cosmetic physicians can help you learn more about how to pair your Botox with other options for the most effective treatment.
Choosing Your Botox for TMJ Provider
Before you choose to have Botox to treat your TMJ, it’s important to remember that this is not a primary use for Botox. It’s much less common to perform Botox injections for TMJ than for other purposes, such as reducing wrinkles around the eyes or forehead. Therefore, it’s key to choose a provider who has plenty of experience treating TMJ using Botox and performs the procedure frequently.
At Reflections Center, each of our procedures is performed by a cosmetic physician who specializes in a selection of procedures, with advanced training in the products, technologies, and techniques necessary to provide the best possible results. With the expertise and medical knowledge of our cosmetic physicians, you can get more comprehensive treatment for TMJ as well as great results with Botox.
View our testimonials to see what our cosmetic physicians can do with Botox for TMJ disorders:
How Much Does Botox for TMJ Cost?
At Reflections Center, Botox is $16 per unit (with TMJ injections requiring about 15-20 units) making the cost around $240-320 for this treatment.
Keep in mind that results will last 3-4 months. Generally, men have stronger and more developed jaw muscles, which means they tend to need more, but TMJ and clenching can develop those muscles in a woman as well. During your free consultation, you’ll get a complete cost estimate for your Botox injections.
Because this is not a primary use for this medication, insurance companies don’t typically cover Botox for TMJ. We offer many different financing options, as well as regular specials and rewards programs to help you save on Botox treatment.
TMJ Botox Injections at Reflections Center for Cosmetic Medicine
To learn whether Botox is a suitable solution for your TMJ pain, schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced physician injectors at either location in Martinsville (Bridgewater Township between Bernardsville and Warren) or in Livingston (near Short Hills, Millburn, and West Orange). You can arrange your first appointment by calling our office at (732) 356-1666 or by filling out our contact form.
