#80 “Proof that Treating TMD/TMJ with BOTOX is a Scam.”

At least once a week a patient will ask me, “What do you think of Botox for treating TMD/TMJ.  My answer is always the same.  “I think it’s a scam.”

I’m never quite sure what the patient thinks of my answer because the patients never comments about Botox further.

I always back up my comment with a few facts.

First, Botox or generically called (Onabotulinum Toxin A), along with the other  trade names of Dysport, Xeomin, and Jeuveau are not approved by the FDA for the treatment of TMD/TMJ.  They are approved by the FDA for the cosmetic treatment of lines and wrinkles of the face.  They work by temporarily paralyzing the muscles beneath the lines and wrinkles and flatten the skin surface.  Any time they are used for TMD/TMJ, they are used “Off Label” which places all the liability on the doctors who use it, and the patients who allow it to be used without FDA approval.

Second, I have asked many physicians and dentists who inject Botox for TMD/TMJ why they use it, and the answer is always the same.  “The patients always have to return in 3 to 4 months for more Botox injections.”  In other words, they like the idea of continuous treatment and continuous revenue.

I usually end my discussion of why I think Botox is a scam by describing a patient of mine who said over a 10-year period she and her insurance company spent over $200,000 on Botox injections and she had the records and receipts to prove it.  After 10 years and $200,000 she was sitting in my examination room with symptoms of TMD/TMJ worse than when the problem first began 10 years prior.

For those reasons I believe using Botox to treat TMJ/TMD is a scam.

Now, there is independent, scientific proof that using Botox for TMD/TMJ is a scam.

Last week I opened my most recent issue of the “Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery to find the lead article for the month entitled, “Does the use of Botulinum Toxin in Treatment of Myofascial Pain Disorder (TMD/TMJ) of the Masseters and Temporalis Muscles Reduce Pain, Improve Function, or Enhance Quality of Life?”  The Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is the most prestigious journal in the field. The authors of this peer reviewed article are well recognized in the profession and the article was written in the most scientific and analytical manner possible including complete statistical analysis of the results.

The conclusion of the article stated that injecting muscles with Botox was no more effective than injecting saline (salt water) in reducing pain, increasing function, or enhancing quality of life for the treatment of TMD/TMJ.

Of course, I already knew Botox was a scam for the reasons stated above. Now there is an independent, scientific, analytical study performed by a group of the best scientists and clinicians in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery proving it as fact.

If you would like to read the entire article, send me an email and I’ll be happy to send you a copy. Or you can find it as: JOMS,  April 2024, Vol 82, Issue 4 Pages 393 to 401.

So, if you have heard Botox (Botulinum Toxin A) is the best way to treat TMD/TMJ do yourself a favor and find a dentist, physician, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant willing to inject saline and save yourself the cost of Botox.  You can still return to that provider every 3 to 4 months if you want. Hopefully, you will not invest $200,000 before you look for a real solution.

On the other hand, if you would like to find out the truth about TMD/TMJ and dispel all the lies and confusion about the problem schedule a consultation with one of the doctors at TMJ Services of Brentwood.  We’ll be happy to share the discoveries that led to the FDA cleared, patented, Urbanek Device and Protocol, validated by an independent (MTSU) university study based on 3000 successfully treated patients.