Clinical Performance of Therapeutic Use of BTX for Bruxism

The effectiveness of botulinum toxin (BTX) in treating bruxism is recognized and well-established. This study aims to provide the most suitable condition for a better performance of BTX injections.

This retrospective study of a single-arm trial was conducted using a medical database of 67 patients who suffered from bruxism between 2009 and 2015, and who had total recovery after injection sessions. Patients were divided into two groups based on the duration of their bruxism. The main outcomes measured were: pain relief, the total number of injection sessions until total recovery, doses of BTX used, and recovery duration between two consecutive sessions. The treatment was stopped when bruxism disappeared.

The investigator carried out injections using Dysport (Ipsen Pharma, Germany). The toxin was reconstituted with 0.9% sodium chloride solution so that 0.1 ml corresponded to 25 U. The patient received the same doses in each session, delivered to trigger points (TrPs). 0.05 ml was injected into each TrP.

The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0,01. The Chi-square test and ANOVA table were used to compare differences according to injection sessions, doses of BTX, TrPs, and recovery duration between the two groups (with long-standing bruxism, and recent bruxism).

Inclusion criteria

• Patients who self-reported having awake bruxism and recovered completely following BTX injections during the period ranging between 2009 and 2015. It includes patients who had previously occlusal splints and who should stop their use once the BTX injections were started.

Exclusion criteria

• Patients suffering from temporomandibular disorders or having a contraindication to BTX injection.