Masseter muscles shrinking due to braces

[needadvancement]

Ever since I had bite blocks in during my braces treatment and I couldn't bite down hard for months, my jaw muscles were shrinking. Looking through old photos I could see it too, I added a link below.
https://s32.postimg.org/clvct67c5/masseters_before_after.jpg

It made my cheekbones look more prominent but it wrecked the lower half of my face aesthetically. Question is, if I start chewing gum and eating tough foods again(haven't done it since braces were removed) can it go back to the way it looked before? Anybody else experience this from braces?

I'm looking into another SG soon but this is making me think about Chin Wing surgery instead.

[GJ]

The lighting is different in the photos, so they don't tell us much.

One is closer to the camera as well, which will cause things to look different.

[needadvancement]

That could be a factor I guess but I simply know that this has happened for sure.

I will be trying to regain the jaw muscles the next few months by changing my diet and using chewing gum daily I hope it doesn't cause tmj. I will update if it works.

[GJ]

but I know that this has happened for sure.

How?

[needadvancement]

How?

I always analyzed my jaw and chin and noticed right away when it started to change. Here's an x-ray from before braces treatment, you can see a good amount of muscle on the jaws with the jawbones underneath.


I had a rectangle face-shape evident on the x-ray. Now with my non-existent masseters I have a V-shape which is feminine and juvenile looking.

I am trying to find out if "muscle memory" applies to this and I can regain what I lost.

[PloskoPlus]

I think something similar happened when I started to wear a night guard to prevent bruxing when I started braces.  It could be my imagination, however that my muscles shrank. My soft tissue envelope looks far thicker in my xrays. I had a consult with triaca and he said I would need Botox injections to shrink they muscles right after a chin wing and 6 months later because the muscles are enormous according to him and he thinks I stil clench very intensely at night.

[meepmeepmeep]

imho, in the after photo you appear more angular and forward grown due to the hollowing of the your cheeks. the before pic you appear to have a much more soft and round face.

[needadvancement]

imho, in the after photo you appear more angular and forward grown due to the hollowing of the your cheeks. the before pic you appear to have a much more soft and round face.

Interesting, I did notice the hollowing thing. As a whole, my lower third is just too small now when looking at my whole head though so I much rather want the wider jaw back.

@Ploskoplus I don't know if you wear retainers at night but if you brux during sleep it'll wreck them and it's a lot of money for just a plastic retainer, I've feared the same thing.

[Lazlo]

Ever since I had bite blocks in during my braces treatment and I couldn't bite down hard for months, my jaw muscles were shrinking. Looking through old photos I could see it too, I added a link below.
https://s32.postimg.org/clvct67c5/masseters_before_after.jpg

It made my cheekbones look more prominent but it wrecked the lower half of my face aesthetically. Question is, if I start chewing gum and eating tough foods again(haven't done it since braces were removed) can it go back to the way it looked before? Anybody else experience this from braces?

I'm looking into another SG soon but this is making me think about Chin Wing surgery instead.

No if you've stopped working out muscles you can never begin to work them out again to achieve their prior strength.

[asphyxia]

No if you've stopped working out muscles you can never begin to work them out again to achieve their prior strength.

Can you please develop ?

[PloskoPlus]

Interesting, I did notice the hollowing thing. As a whole, my lower third is just too small now when looking at my whole head though so I much rather want the wider jaw back.

@Ploskoplus I don't know if you wear retainers at night but if you brux during sleep it'll wreck them and it's a lot of money for just a plastic retainer, I've feared the same thing.

I wear a night guard over a wire retainer. Ortho said I would wreck an essix retainer, so he made me a wire one.

[needadvancement]

I've been regaining some width on my jaws since I started chewing falim gum a couple weeks ago, I was going too hard like two hours every day which gave me certain symptoms. Now I only do it every other day and don't go crazy and it's fine.
https://s16.postimg.org/su0lb62ed/masseter_Update.jpg

I don't know if you can see it but it looks less V-shaped now and it's getting to a point that I'm satisfied with.

[JimmyTheGent]

No if you've stopped working out muscles you can never begin to work them out again to achieve their prior strength.

You are joking right?

[Rico]

splint therapy
orthodontic treatment
botox injections  in masseters
are to make masseter muscles weaker to protect the TMJ

in other way..all of them are to prevent you from TMJD in future or to cure tmjd

any changes in bite make changes in muscles of mastication and vice versa
moreover any changes in muscles of mastication can influence how works muscles which open Eustachian tubes in ears - the same nerve pathway
That's why some people with TMJD has strange sound effects

[needadvancement]

splint therapy
orthodontic treatment
botox injections  in masseters
are to make masseter muscles weaker to protect the TMJ

in other way..all of them are to prevent you from TMJD in future or to cure tmjd

any changes in bite make changes in muscles of mastication and vice versa
moreover any changes in muscles of mastication can influence how works muscles which open Eustachian tubes in ears - the same nerve pathway
That's why some people with TMJD has strange sound effects

So you're saying less muscle mass on the jaws is healthier and vice versa?