I came across this press release from a cosmetic surgery group in the UK called Transform. They are describing a 50% increase in the number of people requesting treatment for Bruxism, which is the medical term for excessive teeth-grinding.

Transform can reveal that it’s Britain’s men, aged 35-45, living in London who are most likely to request this treatment although its clinics have treated women too. Those patients have cited a rise in stress levels due to financial stress and job worries as the reason for their increased and unbearable teeth grinding. And their constant jaw-grinding has caused problems in relationships with partners kept awake by the noise.

Botox to Brutox Treatments

Gwen Davies, Head of Non-Surgical at Transform, comments, “Transform has been using Botox to treat chronic teeth grinding successfully. Brutox, as we’re calling it, is very quick, straightforward and can be very effective. Most Botox patients experience noticeable improvement within two to three days of their first treatment.

Pain Relief from Botox

“And it’s not just relief from jaw pain, tension and headaches, that our patients experience. Some are also noticing a dramatic change in the appearance of their lower face. The square, severe look softened into a more normal and aesthetically pleasing jaw line.

“Some patients have also reported a marked reduction in their general stress level as their grinding gradually comes to a halt. Breaking the habit of Bruxism allows patients to relax and enjoy life.

What’s particularly interesting to me in the above quotation is that the treatment of a symptom of stress, that is the treatment of teeth-grinding, actually reduces the individual’s stress level.

This seems paradoxical, almost a chicken-and-egg scenario.

I’ve heard of it anecdotally in other situations. For instance, people who have their frown lines treated with Botox don’t seem to get as angry as they used to before the treatment.

And I reported on a study in a previous post where 10 people with established severe depression had Botox for frown lines and the depression resolved in 9 out of 10. And the 10th person experienced an improvement in mood, if not a complete resolution.

Our bodies work in mysterious ways, don’t they?