[Treatment of severe bruxism with botulinum toxin type A]

The possible usefulness of botulinum toxin type A in the treatment of bruxism has not been studied exhaustively, being limited to some isolated case reports, two short case-series and a double-blind study involving a small number or patients. This article report our long-term experience in the treatment of bruxism with botulinum toxin type A.

The outcome of 19 patients with severe bruxism who underwent periodical treatment with botulinum toxin A infiltrations in both temporal and masseter muscles, using initial doses of 25 IU per muscle, during a follow-up period ranging from 0.5 to 11 years, is described. Doses were adjusted in follow-up visits according the response degree.

None of the patients reported side-effects. Final doses ranged from 25 to 40 IU per muscle (mean: 29.7 ± 4.9 UI), and duration of the effect from 13 to 26 weeks (mean: 16.7 ± 5.1 weeks).

Botulinum toxin A infiltrations are a safe and useful treatment for patients with severe bruxism.