Hindawi
Pain Research and Management
Volume 2017, Article ID 6264146, 5 pages
https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/6264146
Research Article
The Evaluation of the Clinical Effects of Botulinum Toxin on
Nocturnal Bruxism
Fatih Asutay,1 Yusuf Atalay,2 Hilal Asutay,3 and Ahmet Hüseyin Acar4
1Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
2Vefa Diş Polikliniği, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
3Uzman DentaClinic, Bursa, Turkey
4Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Bezmialem Vakıf University, İstanbul, Turkey
Correspondence should be addressed to Fatih Asutay; dt_asutay@hotmail.com
Received 29 March 2017; Accepted 21 May 2017; Published 5 July 2017
Academic Editor: Lucindo Quintans
Copyright © 2017 Fatih Asutay et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License,
which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Objectives. Nocturnal bruxism can be managed by botulinum toxin (Botox) in patients who have not responded to conservative
treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of botulinum toxin A (BTXA) in the treatment of nocturnal bruxism.
Material andMethods.The retrospective study comprised 25 female patients, aged 23–55 years (mean 35.84±8.41 years). All patients
received a single injection of BTXA in the right and left masseters. Evaluation was made by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) values,
complaint duration, onset of effect, and duration of effectiveness. Results. BTXA produced significant improvements in pain scores.
Only 2 adverse events (8%) were recorded. Conclusion. BTX-A is effective in the treatment of nocturnal bruxism.
1. Introduction and glabellar wrinkles for BTXA and cervical dystonia for
BTXB.
Nocturnal bruxism (NB) is defined as abnormal maxillo- BTXA has been used in the treatment of cosmetic and
mandibular activity during sleep, characterized by grinding noncosmetic conditions such as tremor, hemifacial spasm,
and clenching of the teeth [1, 2]. NB can lead to wear on temporomandibular joint dysfunction, bruxism, masticatory
the teeth, dental prostheses/implant failure, tooth sensitivity, myalgias, sialorrhea, hyperhidrosis, and headache [7].
pain in the teeth, jaw, masticatory muscle, and temporo- Botox injections are directly applied into the masseter
mandibular joint (TMJ), neck pains and headache, periodon- and temporalis muscles to relax these muscles. The clinical
tal disease, oral or facial pain, and potentially tooth loss [3, 4]. effects are typically seen on the first to third days after the
These problems can be associated with the unconscious and injection, followed by one to two weeks of maximum effect,
intense contractions of the temporal and masseter muscles and the typical duration of the effect is three to four months
during sleep [5]. There are various treatment techniques [8].
for the management of NB such as oral splint, behavioral In two comprehensive review studies, Tinastepe et al. [1]
approaches, and medications (muscle relaxants, botulinum and Manfredini et al. [2] suggested that there is not enough
toxin) but none is widely accepted [4]. evidence to use botulinum injection in the treatment of
Botulinum toxin (Botox) is an exotoxin produced by the bruxism. The purpose of the present study was to investigate
bacteriumClostridiumbotulinum, which blocks acetylcholine the potential performance of BTXA on nocturnal bruxism
release from cholinergic nerve endings into the neuromuscu- and to share this clinical experience.
lar junction, thereby causing inactivity of muscles or glands
[6]. Botulinumneurotoxin typesA (BTXA) andB (BTXB) are 2. Materials and Methods
approved by theUnited States Food andDrugAdministration
(FDA) including cervical dystonia, severe primary axillary In the period 2014-2015, a retrospective data analysis was
hyperhidrosis, strabismus, blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm, made of the data of 25 female patients who underwent
2 Pain Research and Management
onabotulinum toxin A (Botox, Allergan, Inc., Irvine, CA, 12.24 ± 2.02 days, and the time that the loss of effectiveness
USA) injections into the masseter muscle for clinically diag- started was 4.76 ± 1.01months (Table 3).
nosed nocturnal bruxism. The patients enrolled in the study The differences between two-week–four-month and one-
had all failed to respond to conservative treatment. Exclu- month–three-month postoperative pain values were not sta-
sion criteria were temporomandibular disorders, pregnancy, tistically significant. However, differences between all other
active drug use, and psychological therapy. times were statistically significant (Table 4).
For evaluation of postoperative pain, Visual Analogue
Scale (VAS) forms were completed by the patients scoring 4. Discussion
the degree of pain between 0 (absence of pain) and 10
(maximum pain) before the injection and then at 2 weeks, In the present study, there were significant differences in
1 month, 3 months, 4 months, and 6 months after the injec- reduction of pain and bruxism activity.
tion. Van Zandijcke andMarchau [9] used botulinum toxin for
The following data were recorded for all patients: max- the first time in the treatment of bruxism of a young woman
imum mouth opening changes, duration of the complaint with a brain injury, and a marked reduction was observed.
before the injection, muscle weakness before injection, the Thereafter, botulinum toxin was used for the treatment of
time the first effectswere seen, the timewhen the effectiveness bruxism with different origins such as cranial-cervical dysto-
started to be lost, and difficulty experienced in speaking, nia [10], Huntington’s disease [11], autism [12], and amphet-
swallowing, or chewing. amine addiction [13].
This study was based on routine service documents of To date, only BTXA and BTXB serotypes have been
NB patients. However, permission to analyse the data was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
sought from the management of the Dentistry Hospital of for clinical use including cervical dystonia, severe primary
Afyon Kocatepe University. All procedures followed were axillary hyperhidrosis, strabismus, blepharospasm, hemifa-
in accordance with the ethical standards of the committee cial spasm, and glabellar wrinkles for BTXA and cervical
responsible for human experimentation (institutional and dystonia for BTXB.
national) andwith theHelsinkiDeclaration of 1975, as revised Lang [14] reported that BTXA showed better and longer
in 2008. Written informed consent was obtained from all the pain relief than BTXB. Moreover, BTXA had fewer side-
study participants. effects than BTXB [14]. In our clinic, BTXA has been safely
used for the treatment of bruxism, masseteric hypertrophy,
2.1. Procedure. For all patients, 100 mouse units (MU) of and sialorrhea.
onabotulinum toxin A (Botox, Allergan, Inc., Irvine, CA) Although the pathogenesis of bruxism remains unclear,
were diluted in 2ml of saline. it is generally accepted that the etiology is multifactorial in
In all patients, a dose of 20MU of BTXA was injected nature. The occurrence of nocturnal bruxism suggests that it
into a singlemassetermuscle using a 0.5mL insulin syringe at may occur as a result of possible physical or psychological
four points (5MU/site). The patient was requested to clench conditions (emotional stress, anxiety, aggressive and hyper-
the masseter muscle, and the injections were applied to the active personality types, malocclusion, sleep problems such
origin, insertion, anterior, and posterior parts of the mus- as sleep apnea, earache, headache, and tooth ache, the side-
cle. effects of some psychiatric medications, etc.) [13, 15].
The treatment of myofascial pain can be difficult for
2.2. Statistical Analysis. Statistical analysis was performed both clinicians and patients because most of these disorders
with the Statistical Package for the Social Science Program involve multiple components such as somatic, neurogenic,
(version 20.0, SPSS Inc., Chicago, USA). Differences in indi- and psychogenic components. Moreover, it can be resistant
vidual parameters were tested using the repeated measures to conventional medical or behavioral therapy. There is no
test ANOVA and post hoc Friedman and Wilcoxon test for consensus on how the effects of Botox reduce pain. Some
abnormally distributed variables (pain). A value of 𝑝 < 0.05 hypotheses have suggested changes in levels of muscle noci-
was considered statistically significant. ceptor sensitizers, nonacetylcholine neurotransmitters, and
acetylcholine at autonomic synapses [16–18] and decreased
3. Results motor neuron activity [19].
Nocturnal bruxism may lead to pain in the head, neck,
Evaluation was made of the data of 25 female patients with a jaw, teeth, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ). However,
mean age of 35.84 ± 8.41 years (range, 23–55 years). All the conservative treatments may be limited in the resolution
study variables are shown in Tables 1 and 2. of this problem. In the past few years, the use of Botox
One patient had pain in the injection points. No adverse therapy has become a promising source for the management
effects or dry mouth (injection into parotid gland) was of myofascial pain [20]. The findings related to pain in the
reported in any other patients. current study showed a significant difference before and
There were no significant changes in respect of the after the injection, which is consistent with the findings of
maximum mouth opening. Only 2 patients (8%) had no Sidebottom AJ et al. [21], Guarda-Nardini et al. [22], and Tan
significant improvements in the pain scores after treatment. et al. [23].
The mean duration of the complaint before injection was In a study by Lee et al. [24], it was reported that BTXA
8.84 ± 4.57 years, the time that the effects were first seen was injection reduced the number of bruxism events during sleep
Pain Research and Management 3
Table 1: The demographic data, pain scores, the time of the onset of the effect, the time of the onset of the loss of effect, and the duration of
the complaint of all the patients.
Patient Age VAS Scores Onset of effect (day) Onset of lose of effect (month) Duration of complaint (year)
Pre-op 2.w 1.m 3.m 4.m 6.m
1 25 8 1 1 0 2 6 10 4 1
2 23 5 1 1 3 4 5 13 3 4
3 24 7 5 1 1 1 7 14 6 1
4 29 8 3 1 0 0 3 14 5 8
5 55 8 7 6 6 7 8 15 4 12
6 36 6 2 1 1 1 2 12 5,5 5
7 31 7 0 0 0 1 3 10 5 15
8 26 8 2 4 7 7 7 15 2,5 9
9 40 9 5 2 2 2 4 13 5 11
10 41 6 3 1 1 1 4 12 5 7
11 36 7 3 0 0 2 4 11 6 9
12 34 4 0 0 0 0 1 10 5 4
13 37 6 2 1 1 1 2 14 5 5
14 29 7 2 1 1 2 3 12 4,5 8
15 48 7 1 0 0 0 1 13 5,5 10
16 43 6 3 2 2 2 3 15 5 3
17 51 8 1 0 0 2 3 9 4 12
18 46 8 3 1 1 1 2 9 4 14
19 33 9 4 1 1 1 3 11 5 18
20 32 7 0 0 0 1 2 8 4 13
21 37 7 2 0 0 1 2 14 4 7
22 29 9 2 1 1 1 1 13 6 6
23 42 8 7 7 7 7 7 13 5 15
24 35 6 0 0 0 0 1 12 5,5 13
25 34 7 1 0 0 0 1 14 5 11
Abbreviations. VAS: Visual Analogue Scale, BTXA: Botulinum Toxin A, w: week, m: month.
Table 2: The characteristics of the patients according to the pain [25]. In the present study, 20MU BTXA was injected into
scores. each masseter muscle and positive results were reported.
VAS Kesikburun et al. [26] reported a 21-year-old male patient
with traumatic brain injury, whowas successfully treatedwith
Before injection 7.12 ± 1.236 (4–9) BTXA for bruxism. According to our clinical experience,
2nd week 2.40 ± 1.979 (0–7) BTXA can be used safely for the treatment of bruxism.
1st month 1.28 ± 1.815 (0–7) The maximum mouth opening may be increased after
3rd month 1.40 ± 2.141 (0–7) injection of BTXA. Sidebottomet al. [21] andGuarda-Nardini
4th month 1.88 ± 2.128 (0–7) et al. [22] reported that the interincisal distance can be
6th month 3.40 ± 2.141 (1–8) induced with BTXA injection. However, the results of the
current study do not match this conclusion. The differences
may be due to most of the patients having no previous
complaint of limited mouth opening or they may have been
and it was therefore suggested that BTXA injection could due to the small sample size.
be used as an effective treatment for nocturnal bruxism. The limitations of the present study include the small
Similarly, Santamato et al. [25] reported that neck pain related sample size and that therewas no information about temporal
to nocturnal bruxism can be treated with BTXA. In the study injection or difference between genders.
by Santamato et al. [25], the dose of BTXA injected into each In conclusion, Botox therapy seems promising and bene-
masseter muscle was 40MU and 25MU was injected into ficial in the treatment of nocturnal bruxism, although several
each temporalis muscle. Moreover, electromyography was limiting factors such as high cost and the necessity for
used to measure to the changes of masseter and temporalis repeated injections prevent its widespread use. When there
muscle hyperactivities and VAS was used to measure to pain has been no response to conservative treatment methods,
4 Pain Research and Management
Table 3: The characteristics of the patients according to age, onset of effect, onset of loss of effect, and duration of complaint.
Age Onset of effect (day) Onset of loss of effect (month) Duration of complaint (year)
Mean ± SD 35.84 ± 8.41 12.24 ± 2.02 4.76 ± 1.01 8.84 ± 4.57
Min–max 23–55 8–15 2–6 1–18
Table 4: Test statisticsa. aWilcoxon signed ranks test. bBased on positive ranks. cBased on negative ranks.
vas2w-vaspi Vas1m-vaspi Vas3m-vaspi Vas4m-vaspi Vas6m-vaspi
𝑍 −4,390b −4,410b −4,395b −4,392b −4,124b
Asymp.Sig. (2-tailed) ,000 ,000 ,000 ,000 ,000
vas1m-vas2w vas3m-vas2w Vas4m-vas2w vas6m-vas2w
𝑍 −3,257b −2,751b −1,629b −2,644c
Asymp.Sig. (2-tailed) ,001 ,006 ,103 ,008
vas3m-vas1m vas4m-vas1m vas6m-vas1m vas4m-vas3m
𝑍 −,736c −2,656c −4,234c −2,762c
Asymp.Sig. (2-tailed) ,461 ,008 ,000 ,006
vas6m-vas3m Vas6m-vas4m
𝑍 −4,148c −4,239c
Asymp.Sig. (2-tailed) ,000 ,000
vaspi: VAS score at preinjection; vas2w: VAS score at 2 weeks (after injection); vas1m: VAS score in first month; vas3m: VAS score in third month; vas4m: VAS
score in fourth month; vas6m: VAS score in sixth month.
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