May 9, 2012 -- Botox injections can provide relief to patients who suffer from nocturnal bruxism, or teeth grinding, according to two studies presented last month at the American Academy of Neurology's (AAN) annual meeting.

Bruxism is probably the most common sleep disorder, occurring in up to 15% of the population, noted researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston (UTHSC) who examined the effects of injecting onabotulinumtoxin A (Botox) into patients' muscles of mastication. There is no established treatment other than bite guards to limit dental damage.

"Dental appliances help prevent tooth damage, but have not been shown to reduce the actual bruxism," said study author William Ondo, MD, a professor of neurology at the UTHSC, told DrBicuspid.com.

Relaxes the muscles

To test the safety and efficacy of administering Botox injections into the masseter and temporalis muscles of patients with nocturnal bruxism, they conducted a double blind, placebo injection controlled trial with 23 subjects (19 women). Almost all reported temporal-mandibular pain.

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By Rabia Mughal, via DrBicuspid.com