Although it is possible to alleviate fine wrinkles and mimic marks that become evident over time, slow down the formation of signs of aging and achieve a younger expression with Botox applications, sometimes more functional effects may also come to the fore. Masseter toxin application is increasingly preferred for its cosmetic benefits as well as increasing the quality of life with the effects it offers.
What is Masseter Muscle?
The masseter muscle, which can also be called the chewing muscle, is located between the cheekbones and the jawbone on both sides of the face. In some people, as a result of the structural overdevelopment and growth of the masseter muscle, the shape of the face changes; undesirable changes such as becoming angular may be encountered.
Why does the masseter muscle grow?
Behind this structural change in the masticatory muscle;
- Genetic factors,
- Consumption of hard food,
- Chewing gum and
- Causes such as bruxism, i.e. teeth clenching, can be found.
What is Bruxism?
‘Bruxism’, popularly known as teeth grinding and teeth clenching, can lead to a series of consequences that reduce the quality of life and affect health. Pain, which is among the complaints that usually occurs due to clenching teeth during sleep at night, affecting the jaw and teeth and neck area and concentrated in the head, can reduce the quality of life. Deformation of the tooth structure and deterioration of oral and dental health may also occur due to continuous and high force clenching of the teeth.
Masseter toxin, which attracts attention with its effective results in the treatment of bruxism, can also be preferred for aesthetic purposes by people with square and hard facial features. By temporarily blocking the nerve signals of the masseter muscle in the area where it is injected, excessive contraction of the muscle is prevented. Thus, it can be ensured that the face has a thinner and oval structure and the face shape is more balanced.
What Does Masseter Treatment Do?
Masseter toxin, which is non-surgical and can be performed safely in a clinical setting, causes a series of effects. The following answers can be given to the question “What does masseter toxin do?”:
With masseter toxin application;
- It is possible to treat the problem of teeth grinding.
- The tension of the jaw muscles can be reduced.
- Facial, jaw, tooth, ear, headache caused by bruxism can be significantly alleviated.
- The angular appearance formed in the jaw area due to masseter hypertrophy is thinned and more elegant and feminine facial features can be achieved.
Although very successful results can be obtained with masseter toxin within the scope of bruxism treatment, it is important to determine the causes of teeth clenching and to plan treatment for these causes in order to make a more long-term and effective treatment.
Who Cannot Receive Masseter Toxin Treatment?
Masseter Bot. Tox. application is quite safe. Nevertheless, it is possible to mention some patient groups that are not considered suitable for the application. For patients with nerve and muscle diseases and inflammation at the injection site, Bot. Tox. Applications are not performed. Likewise, women who are breastfeeding and pregnant women are not considered suitable for masseter toxin. Although no specific harm of masseter toxin during breastfeeding and pregnancy has been shown in clinical studies, experts recommend staying on the safe side.
How to Treat Masseter?
Very thin needles are used during the treatment, which is performed by injecting the toxin directly into three different areas in the masseter muscle, which is approximately 8 mm deep, after the local anesthetic cream is applied to the area. Since the area is numbed before the application, patients do not feel any pain or ache. The procedure is completed in about 10 minutes.
With a single session or repeated sessions every 3-4 months depending on the patient, it is possible to meet the aesthetic expectations of the patients and increase their quality of life, which has decreased due to teeth grinding.
After masseter toxin treatment, the effects begin to be seen after about 3 days. An average of 10-15 days may be required for full effect. When the treatment is performed by specialist physicians, the possibility of side effects is minimal. In rare cases, temporary redness, bruising and tenderness may occur in the area.
In Heraderma clinic, as in all our treatments, we carry out patient-specific planning for masseter toxin application. We prioritize the health and comfort of our patients during our treatments performed by our specialist physicians.