Does botulinum toxin have any role in the management of chronic pain associated with bruxism?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of injectable botulinum toxin (BTA) in the management of pain associated with nocturnal bruxism. METHODS: The study subjects consisted of 40 male and female volunteers who complained of chronic pain in the masseter muscles bilaterally due to bruxism. Twenty units of BTA were injected bilaterally into the masseter muscles. Clinical parameters of pain at rest and chewing were assessed at baseline, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 18, and 24 weeks using the visual pain scale (VPS). RESULTS: The study included 24 females and 16 males aged 21 to 52 years (mean 33.9 +/- 31.0). The mean VPS score on the first day was 5.75 (SD 1.9), significantly decreasing after two weeks to 0.44 (SD 0.727). The mean difference of VPS from 8 weeks up to 24 weeks gradually increase from 0.69 at 8 weeks to 2.00 at 24 weeks. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that BTA could reduce the pain of nocturnal bruxism in affected patients.