Dr. Damico has always enjoyed how versatile Botox® is for treating his patients’ varying concerns. One of the creative ways that he likes to use Botox® is in the jaw!
Treating your jaw with Botox® has several benefits including relief from teeth grinding, bruxism, TMJ disorder and all the related headaches. Treating your jaw muscle, called the “masseter”, with a larger dose of Botox® can also help slim your jawline.
It’s unfortunate that many people think that they have to go under anesthesia, shave their bones down, and recover from surgery when in fact, many people are fine candidates for non-surgical jaw slimming done with a few simple treatments of Botox®.
My name is Irene, and in the video, you can see Dr. Damico treating me for teeth grinding and TMJ Disorder with Botox®. (This video does show the injection taking place- viewer discretion advised.)
The entire treatment took less than 10 minutes! I used an ice pack to numb the area and felt nothing during my treatment. “The worst part is the ice!”, you can hear Dr. Damico say in the video. That was true! But it wasn’t bad at all. This is the only treatment area that Dr. Damico would use ice instead of his topical numbing cream.
I have been treated for teeth grinding and the related headaches twice now, experiencing relief from my symptoms for about 6 months each time. However, my first treatment required a larger dose of Botox® since my jaw muscles were so strong! The first time I was treated, Dr. Damico put 25 units of Botox® in each of my masseter muscles. That means my treatment was 50 units in total, and at $13 per unit, my treatment value was $650. The second time I got treated, my muscle had thankfully gotten weaker! Dr. Damico only used 40 units, valued at $520. But I have to say, the improvement to my quality of life is truly priceless! My headaches were affecting my ability to go to class, work, hang out with friends, and do the things I enjoy doing.
Botox® gave me the freedom to stop constantly taking pain relief medicine for these non-stop headaches.
Since the masseter is one of the main muscles holding your mouth shut, I asked Dr. Damico why this treatment doesn’t cause people to walk around with their mouths hanging open. Fair question, right? He told me that he would have to use A LOT more Botox® to cause that to happen, and since the masseter is such a big muscle (relatively speaking) that the doses he uses would be incredibly unlikely to cause such a side effect.
The first time I got treated, my jaw was tired for about a week, but the second time I had no side effects at all. I never had any issue holding my mouth closed, but I did actually notice that I was clenching my jaw a whole lot less!
What if you like the shape of your face but want this treatment for teeth grinding and headaches? Not to worry, Dr. Damico will assess your jaw muscles and create a treatment plan tailored to your goals, just like he did for me! By using a smaller dose, and having the treatments spread about 6 months apart, Dr. Damico was able to avoid shrinking my jaw muscles to the point of changing my face shape, which I did not want! So, I was definitely happy about that too.
How much does Botox® for TMJ relief or jaw slimming cost?
Dr. Damico/Skin Care Fort Worth does not accept insurance for Botox® treatments. Insurance will not likely cover procedures done with Botox® Cosmetic. Below you can see some of the most common treatment costs:
| 40 units | $520 |
| 50 units | $650 |
| 60 units | $780 |
Dr. Damico uses Botox® for anyone who wants to slim their jaw without surgery!
Dr. Damico may use a larger dose of Botox® to slim the jaw. That’s because the large appearance of your jaw can be caused by the large size of the masseter muscle. When you compare the size to the strength, Dr. Damico says that the masseters are some of the strongest muscles in your body! Botox® reduces the size of your jaw through a process called atrophy. The muscle will get weaker, just like how your biceps could shrink if you stopped working them out.
To get the best results for jaw slimming, Dr. Damico recommends 2-3 treatments that are 3 months apart. If you would like to come in for a free consultation to discuss if you are a good candidate for jaw reduction with Botox® give us a call at (817)738-9268 or scroll down to fill out our contact form below.
Reading this blog is not a substitute for seeking professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any concerns you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment. This blog is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only.
In health and beauty,
Irene
