Individual Assessment
Dr. Marina examines your jaw muscles, bite, and joint movement and reviews your history. Treatment is only discussed once the cause of your symptoms is understood.
Botox & Dysport in Tribeca, NYC
Botox for Headaches & Jaw Tension
Recurring headaches are rarely caused by one thing — but for many people, overworked jaw muscles and nighttime clenching are a real and treatable part of the picture. At Tribeca Dental Studio, Dr. Marina Krasnopolsky assesses the muscle side of your headaches first, then discusses whether Botox or Dysport belongs in your plan.
The short answer
If your headaches start in your jaw — morning soreness, temple pressure, a tired, tight face — the cause may be muscular. Dr. Marina assesses your jaw muscles, bite, and clenching patterns at 54 Warren St, and when overactive muscles are part of the problem, precise Botox or Dysport injections can calm them. It starts with an individual assessment, never a one-size-fits-all treatment.
01 // ASSESSMENT FIRST, ALWAYS
When your jaw is working overtime, your head feels it.
The masseter and temporalis muscles are among the strongest in the body, and they do not always switch off when they should. Clenching during stressful days and grinding through the night keep these muscles in near-constant contraction. The result is familiar to many of our patients: a dull ache across the temples, pressure behind the eyes, a sore jaw on waking, and headaches that seem to arrive on a schedule — worst in the morning or at the end of a demanding day.
Botulinum toxin treatments — Botox and Dysport — work by temporarily relaxing targeted muscles. When Dr. Marina places small, precise doses into overworked jaw and temple muscles, those muscles can no longer clench with their usual force. For patients whose headaches are driven or worsened by that muscle activity, reducing the load can reduce the headaches that come with it. This is not a cure for every headache, and it is never presented as one: headaches have many causes, and part of a responsible assessment is recognizing when your symptoms need a different kind of care or a referral.
Individual assessment with Dr. Marina first
Dysport in most cases, Botox where it fits better
Targets masseter and temporalis overload
Honest guidance — including referral when needed
HOW IT CAN HELP
Relaxing the Muscles Behind the Headache
01 //
Masseter Relaxation
The masseter is your main clenching muscle. Calming it reduces the force your jaw can generate, day and night, which can ease the strain that radiates upward into the temples.
02 //
Temple Muscle Relief
The temporalis fans across the side of the head — which is why jaw overuse so often feels like a temple headache. Targeted treatment here addresses the headache where it is actually felt.
03 //
Fewer Clenching Cycles
With less muscle force available, nighttime grinding and daytime clenching lose intensity. Many patients notice quieter mornings before they notice anything else.
04 //
Part of a Bigger Picture
Muscle treatment pairs with the rest of your dental picture — bite evaluation, worn teeth, and, where appropriate, a custom night guard. Dr. Marina coordinates the plan as a whole.
Headaches deserve a cause, not just a painkiller.
Most people with recurring headaches have a routine: a painkiller, a dark room, a lost afternoon. What they rarely get is an explanation. At Tribeca Dental Studio we start from a simple observation — the jaw is connected to the head by muscle, and when those muscles are chronically overworked, the head pays for it. If you wake with a sore jaw, if your temples ache by 4 p.m., if your partner hears you grinding at night, your headaches may have a muscular component that no painkiller will ever address.
That is the gap Dr. Marina's assessment is designed to close. She examines how your jaw muscles feel under load, how your teeth meet, how your joint moves, and how your symptoms behave across the day. Botox is FDA-approved for the prevention of chronic migraine in adults, and botulinum toxin treatment of the jaw muscles is a well-established part of care for clenching-related pain — but the product is never the starting point here. The starting point is a diagnosis of what your muscles are actually doing.
If the assessment points somewhere else — if your headaches do not behave like a muscle problem — you will hear that too, plainly, with guidance on the right next step. And if muscle treatment does fit, you will know exactly which muscles, which product, and what to realistically expect: gradual relief over the following days, effects that typically last about three to four months, and a follow-up plan that adjusts to your response. That is what assessment-first care looks like at 54 Warren Street.
YOUR VISIT
Three Steps, No Shortcuts
A Plan Built Around You
If a muscle relaxant fits your case, Dr. Marina selects the product — Dysport in most cases, or Botox — the injection points, and the dose. Every plan is tailored; nothing is one-size-fits-all.
Follow-Up & Adjustment
Effects develop gradually over the following days and typically last about three to four months. We review your response and adjust future sessions to your muscles and your goals.
Patient Inquiries
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Botox really help headaches?▼
It can help when overactive jaw and temple muscles are part of the cause. Botox is FDA-approved for preventing chronic migraine in adults, and relaxing clenching muscles is an established approach for muscle-driven head and jaw pain. It is not a treatment for every headache — which is why Dr. Marina assesses the cause first and will tell you honestly if your headaches point elsewhere.
How do I know if my headaches come from my jaw?▼
Common clues include waking with a sore or tired jaw, temple tenderness, headaches that are worst in the morning or after stressful days, worn or flattened teeth, and a partner who hears grinding at night. None of these prove the cause on their own — the assessment with Dr. Marina examines your muscles, bite, and joint to put the picture together.
Botox or Dysport — which will I get?▼
Both are botulinum toxin type A products that relax targeted muscles. Dr. Marina uses Dysport in most cases and Botox where its characteristics fit the plan better. The choice, the injection points, and the dose are all decided during your individual assessment — never in advance and never the same for every patient.
How long do the effects last?▼
Effects develop gradually over the first one to two weeks and typically last about three to four months, varying by person, muscle, and dose. As the effect fades, clenching force returns slowly rather than all at once. Dr. Marina reviews your response at follow-up and adjusts later sessions accordingly.
Will it change how my face looks?▼
Treatment for headaches is planned around muscle function, not cosmetics, and doses are conservative. When very bulky jaw muscles relax over time, some patients notice a slightly softer jawline — an effect many welcome. Dr. Marina discusses exactly what to expect for your case before any treatment begins.
What if my headaches are not muscular?▼
Then muscle treatment is not the answer, and you will hear that directly. Headaches can have many causes — vision, sinus, blood pressure, sleep apnea, and neurological conditions among them. Part of the value of the assessment is a clear-eyed view of what is and is not coming from your jaw, and guidance toward the right specialist when needed.
RELATED TREATMENTS
Explore Related Jaw & Muscle Care
Botox for TMJ
Assessment-first care for TMJ pain driven by overworked jaw muscles, clenching, and grinding.
Botox for Locked Jaw
Why a jaw locks — muscle spasm or joint — and how relaxing a spasm may help when the cause is muscular.
Botox for Occlusion
Balancing bite forces: how calming overactive chewing muscles can protect teeth and restorations while the bite is evaluated.
Custom Night Guards for Teeth Grinding
A custom night guard protects your teeth from grinding forces while muscle treatment addresses the force itself.
TRIBECA • NEW YORK
Find Out What Is Driving Your Headaches
Book an individual assessment with Dr. Marina at Tribeca Dental Studio, 54 Warren St — and get a plan built on a cause, not a guess.
Tribeca Dental Studio · 54 Warren St, New York, NY 10007
