In a recent study, botulinum toxin A (BTA) injections significantly alleviated the pain associated with bruxism, with the most notable relief occurring in the first 6 months after treatment. Furthermore, BTA demonstrated superior therapeutic efficacy compared to oral splinting.

Bruxism, a condition characterized by grinding or clenching of the teeth, can lead to significant discomfort and oral health issues. Researchers sought to assess the effectiveness of BTA injections in reducing bruxism-related pain over various follow-up periods. To conduct the research, a comprehensive search of five electronic databases spanning from 2005 to 2022 was carried out, focusing on studies related to botulinum toxin and bruxism.

Only controlled trials were incorporated in the analysis. Two independent investigators meticulously reviewed each article and reconciled any differences through discussions until a unanimous agreement was achieved. Pain endpoints were examined using the visual analogue scale (VAS). It was subjugated to single-arm and Bayesian network meta-analyses. Utilizing a random-effects model, pooling of data was performed. The study included a total of 11 trials involving 365 bruxism patients.

As per the single-arm analysis of the pooled data, BTA injections led to a remarkable drop in bruxism-linked pain, with an average decrease of 4.06 points on the VAS (95% CI = 3.37 to 4.75). Notably, the pain alleviation was most pronounced within the initial six months post-treatment. The Bayesian analysis provided further insights, indicating that BTA injections yielded substantially better pain management compared to other approaches such as oral splinting (mean difference [MD], −1.5; 95% credible interval (CrI) = −2.7 to −0.19) and saline injections (MD, −3.3; 95% CrI = −6.2 to −0.32).

Therefore, BTA injections exhibit promising potential in relieving the pain associated with bruxism.

However, the researchers emphasize the need for further randomized controlled trials with long-term follow-ups to compare BTA with alternative management options and medications, aiming to provide a more comprehensive understanding of its potential benefits. This research may offer new hope to individuals suffering from the discomfort of bruxism, potentially improving their quality of life and oral health.