What Are The Causes Of A Wide Jaw?

2nd October 2017 by PHI Clinic

Looking back on photos from years ago is a great way to reflect on your life, enjoy a bit of nostalgia, remember the funny mistakes and events of the past, and demonstrate how you’ve grown as a person. These overwhelming positive experiences show you how much you’ve changed, but can also highlight signs of ageing and areas of concern. One of the things that can change as we mature is the size of the jaw, which may come as a surprise, but is a fairly common occurrence, so what causes wide jaw?

Knowing The Parts Of The Face

There are a few factors that influence how wide your jaw may be, or become over time, and are better understood through knowing the parts of the face that they affect: the masseter and the mandible. The masseter muscle is one of four muscles that affects the opening and closing of the mouth, and runs from the back of the jaw to in front of the ear on both sides of the face. The mandible is the lower jaw bone, connected to the masseter muscle, which functions mainly to pull the jaw up to close the mouth.

Masseter Muscle

Just like other muscles in the body, the masseter muscle can grow in size when you ‘work out’, by chewing gum or the end of a pencil habitually. This also happens through grinding teeth, also called bruxism, that can occur during sleep. In instances where the masseter muscle causes wide jaw, Botox can be used effectively to reduce this squared appearance.

Mandible

The size and shape of the jaw bone is usually genetic, but can be influenced by certain medical conditions or injuries that affect its growth or change. In this case, Botox cannot be used to treat the problem, and other treatment options may be required.

The Masseter/Mandible Causes Wide Jaw

Mandible and Masseter

When the size of the mandible and the overuse of the masseter muscle are both causing a wide jaw, Botox can be used to partially reduce the appearance, but other options may be required to reach the desired effect of a more rounded face.

For more information about jawline slimming, or to book a no obligation consultation with one of our highly experienced doctors at 102 Harley Street, call us today on 0207 034 5999, or log an enquiry through our website and a team member will contact you.