Consider Botox as a way to say goodbye to teeth grinding.

I tried it and it worked!

by Charlotte Rowles

After years of looking after a sick relative, I noticed that my mouth would be painful in the mornings. I made that dreaded trip to the Dentist who told me I had a condition known as bruxism or put more commonly: teeth grinding. 

He also told me that teeth grinding is often related to stress or anxiety, something which I had to admit having experienced plenty of. And though I could not pinpoint the exact cause for mine, once I saw the list of symptoms (most of which I was definitely already experiencing) headaches, earache, pain and stiffness around the jaw area, disrupted sleep and worn down, sensitive teeth, I realised I had to take action.

My dentist is excellent. A bit of a no-nonsense type who in the midst of treating other teeth problems, advised that the answer was a mouthguard to protect my teeth. It’s plastic and for it to be effective you really should wear each night, a bit like those worn by rugby players to protect their teeth from getting damaged in a match. 

Unsurprisingly, I didn’t really like the mouthguard much (if at all) - it's uncomfortable, I found it hard to sleep with and generally it's kind of yuck. So I started looking for other things to fix my problem.  

Years later, despite trying almost everything the NHS website suggested, meditation tapes, exercise and eating well- I was still waking up with a painful jaw, still hating on the mouthguard and actually feeling like I’d been ten rounds with a heavyweight boxer every night. 

Relief finally came in the form of my local, Hackney based Medical Aesthetics Clinic, Skin & Sanctuary. During the most amazing facial I mentioned my teeth clenching and the aesthetician asked if I’d considered Botox. I would not normally have taken this any further but like with a lot of suggestions in life it helps if you trust the person and understanding how knowledgeable the team at Skin & Sanctuary are I definitely had trust. But Botox was a big step - it required an injection and medical consent, so I paid due attention. 

I’ll admit it; I thought Botox was for the Kim Kardashians of this world- not me. I’m a 50’s something mother whose grooming regime/goals is/are often restricted to wearing clean clothes and having a shower each morning. What I didn’t realise is that while Botox is now commonly used to treat wrinkles/frown lines it has for years also been used to relax other muscles (like my jaw). 

Anyhow, I reminded myself I’d managed a C-section the year before, - I could handle anything. 

My first treatment was undertaken by Skin & Sanctuary’s Specialist Nurse Practitioner, Rachel McIntosh. Rachel is amazing. She saw that I was nervous and ensured that I had the time and space to ask any questions that I wanted. She asked me to clench my muscles and felt either side of my jaw telling me they were very pronounced which made sense given how long I’d been clenching. 

After the consultation the entire process took around 15 minutes, involving a series of small injections on both sides of my face to address my teeth grinding levels. 

And the impact has been so fantastic. I’m not exaggerating when I say I can wake up almost skipping to the shower, where once the discomfort overnight and nagging pain meant I would have had to drag myself there. 

I think part of my reluctance to Botox was thinking about any negative effects it might have; leaving marks on my face or worse - having a bad rejection. But going to a Clinic and to someone that knew what they were doing, that understood and was able to explain the medical implications, meant that wasn’t the case. 

At Skin & Sanctuary I was in safe, professional, expert medical hands. And it’s genuinely changed my life. Having suffered for years, I now feel like a different person. 

There is one downside. As with treatment for lines and wrinkles Botox is not permanent. It will require topping up every 3 to 6 months. For me it’s worth every penny. I went back, just before lockdown, for mine. The beautiful Rachel is currently on maternity leave but the equally reassuring and hugely talented Dr Vy Nguyen was on hand to administer.

I am so grateful. No more living in pain. No more disgusting mouth guards. My advice to all fellow sufferers, male and female - don’t grin and bear it: consider Botox as a way to say goodbye to teething grinding. 

Charlotte Rowles