Tooth Grinding & Its Effect on Aging Skin

Symmetry, proportion, and plump skin are the main prerequisites for a beautiful face. You might be blessed with good genes from good-looking parents. However, your lifestyle and environmental factors can either enhance your beauty or destroy it. The bite plays an essential role in maintaining the balance and structure of the face. People who grind their teeth can end up with a collapsed-looking face, a short mid-face, a receded lower jaw, forward head posture, and far more wrinkles compared to people who have nice tall teeth. Suzanne, the featured patient in this blog, was referred to Dr. Motlagh for a permanent solution to her chronic head & neck pain, TMJ pain, muscle spasms, tooth grinding, and ongoing failing dentistry, among many other debilitating symptoms. She was treated with our non-surgical facelift procedure called YoungFace®.

Why Do Some People Grind Their Teeth & Others Don’t?

Contrary to common belief, tooth grinding is not due to stress but most often due to a functional and postural issue. Tooth grinding is the result of constant muscle spasms in the face and neck. So why do some people have facial spasms and others don’t? The answer is simple. The posturing muscles of the face that hold the lower jaw against the upper jaw can change in length depending on where the teeth mesh — “our bite.” A deep bite or an overbite usually throws off the muscle balance and gives the face an aged or over-closed look. Deep creases at the corners of the lips and above the chin are common signs of a deep bite. When muscles are in constant spasm, the person ends up grinding without the ability to control it, which in turn starts the domino effect of tooth wear, shortening of the face, and the appearance of unwanted wrinkles. A bad bite not only damages the teeth and breaks expensive restorations, but also ages your face at a much faster rate.

Repositioning the Jaw Without Surgery

Latest advancements in dentistry allow a trained practitioner to precisely measure the level of muscle spasm in the major muscles of the face by performing Electromyography. Dr. Maryam Motlagh treats the spasm in the muscles with the application of Ultra Low Frequency Electrical Neural Stimulation. ULF-TENS is a comfortable procedure that relaxes all the facial muscles within one hour. When the muscles of the face relax, the lower jaw — which is suspended by the muscles — relaxes and lands in its ideal rest position, also known as the “Physiologic Rest Position” among dentists. Once the headaches and facial tension are eliminated, the bite is corrected to permanently support this new relaxed position of the face.