ABC LA7 News: Los Angeles TMJ Treatment Using Botox New Procedure Developed by Dr. Alexander Rivkin
Serving Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Newport Beach and Orange County, California
You’re watching Eyewitness new in high definition.
When someone mentions botox, most people probably think of it as a
way to smooth out wrinkles, but for those of you who grind their
teeth at night, or have TMJ, botox can be a way to relieve pain. Our
specialist Denise Dador explains how it works.
Alexander Rivkin MD: “How’s it feeling? Is it more relaxed?”
Denise: “The tension in Claudia Rovner’s jaw gives her a lot of
pain.”
Claudia: “I have been experiencing pain, grinding, tension in my
jaws.”
Denise: “She says the grinding started 30 years ago. Different
dentists
gave her various types of mouth appliances that she basically chewed
through.”
Claudia: “I tried so many different things to help myself, and
nothing helped.”
Dr. Rivkin: “When you grind your teeth, a couple of things can
happen. One is
that when your dentist sees it, your teeth can get worn down, and
eventually, you can even crack teeth.”
Denise: “There’s also the chronic headaches. Dr. Alexander Rivkin,
says 4:1
teeth grinding affects more women, and you can tell which are the
chronic grinders.”
Dr. Rivkin: “Their working out this muscle all the time day and
night, and it gets
big.”
Denise: “The masseter, or the chewing muscle, is the most powerful
muscle in the
head. Dr. Rivkin says, take care of that muscle and you get right to
the root of the problem.”
Dr. Rivkin: “Botox in the massiter muscle is actually something
that’s been done
in Asia for a while, for cosmetic reasons.”
Denise: “It can thin out a square looking face, but Dr. Rivkin
realized that botox
around the jaw also had a therapeutic effect.”
Dr. Rivkin: “You give them botox in this muscle, and the muscle
shrinks.”
Denise: “Too little and you won’t get any effect. Too much and you
can
temporarily lose your ability to eat and make expressions. The key
is to determine the correct dose.
Dr. Rivkin: “If you give the right amount of botox, they can still
smile, chew, and
they don’t feel it at all. Except that they don’t grind.”
Denise: “The cost depends on the size of the muscle. It can range
from 200 to
700 dollars per session. And since the effects are temporary,
patients must get repeat treatments every 3-4 months. Claudia says
she wishes she had done this earlier.
Claudia: “The headaches are gone, the tension is gone. I don’t
clench my jaws. I feel good.”
“In Westwood, Denise Dador, ABC 7, Eyewitness News."
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