Masseter Botox
What Is It?
The masseter is a powerful muscle at the angle of the jaw that does the work of chewing. When you clench your teeth, it is the spot that hardens at the corner of your jaw. In people who clench or grind their teeth, this muscle works constantly and thickens over time. The lower face widens and the jaw angle becomes more prominent.
Masseter Botox temporarily reduces this muscle’s excessive activity. Our aim is to put a brake on the muscle. Because it can’t work as strongly as before, you can’t clench your teeth with the same force either. A muscle that works less gradually becomes thinner. That has two results. The lower face looks more oval, and tension related to clenching may ease. So this treatment comes up with two separate expectations.
How Is It Done?
We start the examination with the muscle. I ask you to clench your teeth and assess the muscle by hand. How prominent does it become, is there a difference between the two sides, where are its borders? We mark these. We also establish whether the width of the lower face comes from muscle, or from fat tissue or bone structure. If the source is not muscle, the treatment will not meet the expectation.
We set the dose according to muscle thickness and inject it into the muscle within the safe zone we have marked. Close by there is a muscle that pulls the corner of the mouth sideways when you smile. Botox also has a spread distance of its own. To keep your smile unaffected, we leave a safety margin of about one centimetre from that muscle. The procedure takes about 15 minutes and needs no anaesthesia. If clenching is your main complaint, I also suggest you see a dentist; a night guard can be planned alongside.
Who Is It For?
Suitable for people who clench or grind their teeth, who feel tension in the jaw and temples in the morning, or whose lower face looks wide because of muscle bulk. The aesthetic expectation and the complaint often come together in the same person.
If the width of the lower face comes from bone structure or fat tissue, the treatment will not give the expected result; we make this distinction at the examination. We don’t treat during pregnancy or breastfeeding, people with neuromuscular disease, anyone with active infection at the site, or anyone with a known allergy to the toxin. If a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder has been diagnosed, we assess that first.
Process & Recovery
Examination
We assess the muscle by hand while you clench your teeth. We mark the difference between the two sides and the borders of the muscle, and establish where the lower-face width comes from. We take photographs for the record.
Treatment day
We cleanse the skin, mark the safe zone and inject the dose into the muscle. It takes about 15 minutes and needs no anaesthesia.
First 24 hours
The injection points may be tender for a short while. The rules for the first day are in the “Aftercare Notes” section of this page. The aim is to avoid straining the muscle right after treatment.
Weeks 1-3
First you feel your clenching force decrease. Any change in morning tension is usually noticed in this period too. Chewing is preserved; only the excessive force is reduced.
Months 2-3
The thinning of the muscle gradually becomes visible, and the change in the lower-face contour becomes clear in this period. We plan the review, and any renewal, on this timeline.
Results & Duration
The two results come on two separate timelines. The reduction in clenching force is felt in the first weeks. The change in appearance from the muscle thinning becomes clear over 2-3 months. So saying “there’s no difference at all” in the first month would be misleading.
The effect is not permanent. After an average of 4-6 months the muscle starts returning to its previous activity. In people who renew it at regular intervals, muscle bulk is reported to stay under control for longer. Duration varies with muscle structure, how hard you clench and dose.
What Is Not Promised
Masseter Botox does not remove the cause of clenching. It does not touch underlying factors such as stress, sleep patterns or the way your teeth meet. It reduces the muscle’s strength, but it does not end the habit. That is why we often recommend a dental assessment and a night guard alongside it.
It does not change jaw width that comes from bone structure, and it does not gather lax skin. It does not replace treatment for a diagnosed jaw joint disorder. We make no promise about how much slimmer the face will become, whether the complaint will go away completely or how long the effect will last.
Key Benefits
- Reduced tension
- V-line face contour
- Comfortable life
“I clench my teeth a lot myself; when my teeth start to ache, I do masseter Botox on myself. I leave a safety margin of about one centimetre from the smile muscle so that my mouth doesn’t go crooked when I smile. Relief from clenching comes within weeks, while the slimming of the facial contour takes months.”
— Dr. Sinan Akyürek
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my clenching stop completely?
I can’t promise it will stop completely. The treatment reduces the muscle’s strength; it does not remove the cause of the clenching habit. We expect the complaint to lessen, and we often recommend a dental assessment and a night guard alongside.
When will my face look slimmer?
Usually within 2-3 months. The muscle thins slowly. What you feel in the first weeks is the reduction in clenching force.
Will chewing become difficult?
Your everyday eating won’t be affected. We calculate the dose to preserve normal chewing. In the first weeks you may notice a little less force with very hard foods.
How long does it last?
On average 4-6 months. It varies from person to person with muscle structure, how hard you clench and dose.
Will my smile change?
With planned treatment it isn’t expected to change. The muscle that pulls the corner of your mouth sideways when you smile is close by. That is why we mark the safe zone and pay attention to the borders.
What should I avoid on the first day?
For the first 24 hours, don’t chew gum, stay away from hard foods and don’t massage the jaw area.
Can it be combined with a night guard?
Yes, we often plan them together. Botox reduces the muscle’s strength and the guard protects the teeth. The two do different jobs.
Who is it not suitable for?
We don’t treat during pregnancy or breastfeeding, in neuromuscular disease, with active infection at the site, or with a known allergy to the toxin. If a jaw joint disorder has been diagnosed, we assess that first.