Stress and anxiety are the main factors linked to teeth grinding and jaw clenching, with some people tensing their jaw during the day without even realising it.
Financial pressure can be part of that picture too, particularly younger people dealing with rising living costs, rent, mortgages or job insecurity.
The condition, known as bruxism, can happen while someone is awake or asleep and may go unnoticed until symptoms such as jaw pain, headaches or damage to the teeth begin to appear.
Dr Ed Robinson, one of the UK’s leading aesthetics doctors and founder of Dr Ed Robinson Aesthetics, says many people may not realise how much pressure they are putting on their jaw.
Dr Ed has seen a 50% increase in patients suffering from teeth grinding and jaw clenching at his clinic over the past year.
He said: “Some people know they grind their teeth because a partner hears them at night, but others wake up with a tight jaw, headaches or pain around the face and don’t connect the two.
“If you’re constantly clenching or grinding, you’re repeatedly working the muscles around the jaw, and over time that can become incredibly uncomfortable.”
Dr Ed offers ultrasound-guided masseter Botox to help reduce excessive activity in one of the main muscles involved in clenching the jaw.
Dr Ed said: “For suitable patients, treating the masseter muscle with botulinum toxin can help reduce excessive muscle activity and relieve some of that tension.
“It isn’t about injecting anyone who says they grind their teeth. You need to understand the patient, their symptoms and whether the masseter is actually contributing to the problem.”
Dr Ed uses ultrasound to assess the masseter before treatment. The muscle can vary in size, thickness and position between patients, and ultrasound allows him to see the individual anatomy before deciding where to inject.
He said: “Everybody’s anatomy is slightly different.
“Ultrasound helps me see exactly where the muscle sits and how thick it is, so I can tailor the treatment much more closely to the individual patient.”
Masseter Botox is also commonly associated with facial slimming, but Dr Ed says its use can go beyond cosmetic concerns.
He said: “Botox is usually thought of purely as a cosmetic treatment, but some patients are coming in because they are dealing with genuine discomfort from clenching or grinding.
“It isn’t the right treatment for everybody, and if someone has persistent teeth grinding, jaw pain or damage to their teeth, they should be properly assessed.
“But where an overactive masseter is contributing to the problem, this is one option we can consider.
“The main thing is not to ignore it. If you’re regularly waking up with jaw pain, headaches or noticing damage to your teeth, it’s worth getting checked rather than assuming it will settle on its own.”
