Bruxism – The Silent Killer of Your Smile

You brush your teeth twice a day, floss before bed and schedule bi-annual visits to the dentist. You’re basically doing everything you can to protect your teeth, right? Wrong.

You, along with the rest of us, are living with an uncontrollable bedtime habit that is slowly destroying your one-of-a-kind smile. It’s called Bruxism, and this is why you should care:

What is Bruxism?

Bruxism is the term used for involuntary or habitual clenching of the jaw and grinding of teeth, which typically occurs during sleep. In fact, one of the leading factors of Bruxism is stress (70%), which means that we’re all bruxing at one time or another. And in this fast-paced digital age of modernization, we’re probably bruxing even greater than before.  

What are the Effects?

The gradual wear and tear that Bruxism inflicts onto teeth, gum and jaw joints can lead to a higher rate of: tooth decay that requires fillings; tooth fractures that require crowns; and even, tooth loss that requires implants and/or dentures. It can also lead to a whole host of general health problems, like headaches, neck and shoulder tension, popping of jaw joints, and facial pain.

Even celebrities, like Demi Moore, revealed on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon that stress-induced Bruxism resulted in losing two teeth!

How Do you Know if you Have Bruxism?

The best way to find out is by consulting a dentist. But for those without access to a dentist, you’ll know just by these symptoms:

• Tooth sensitivity

• Gum recession

• Chipped, cracked, or worn-down tips of teeth

• Yellow-orange notches on the base of your teeth

• Jaw pain, clicking, popping and/or difficulty opening your mouth

• Frequent head/neck/shoulder tension

The effects of this dental condition aren’t only limited to our mouths, as The Mayo Clinic reports: “People who clench or grind their teeth during sleep are more likely to have other sleep disorders, such as snoring and pauses in breathing (sleep apnea).”

Wearing a night guard can protect your teeth from further damage caused by the grinding effects of bruxism. In today’s market, there are two non-invasive options for Bruxism relief: A custom night guard made by a licensed dentist, but this requires multiple office visits that come with a throat-gagging process, and a $500-$900 price tag. Or, there’s the alternative, which is an over-the-counter night guard found in many drug stores. Unfortunately, you’ll now have to deal with the tedious boil-and-bite process, and the bulky, one-size-fits-all design that results in more stress and poor sleep.

Those who live unaware of their condition and/or refuse to do anything about, will gradually wear down their teeth, gums and jaw joints. This leads to many dentist visits for expensive restorative treatments, like fillings, crowns, bridges, implants, dentures, jaw surgery… you get the idea.

Andrew Lee, RDH MBA is a seasoned Registered Dental Hygienist, medical device inventor, and founder of OTIS - a direct-to-consumer oral health startup that offers the same quality custom night guards as dentists, but with them, you can skip the office visits and pay up to 80% less. As a seasoned dental health provider (and as a patient himself), he’s always felt that oral health care products were inaccessible and unaffordable for those with and without dental insurance,  and that the dental industry needed to be more focused on preventive rather than restorative. Andrew knew something had to change, which is why starting OTIS was a no-brainer.

What’s great about OTIS is that we’re now provided a platform of transparency that empowers us with the tools and education needed to make healthy, informed decisions with our oral health. They’re not just some random people who found a problem and decided to cash in on it; they’re a team of licensed dental professionals with over 50 years of combined experience, in private practice and at UCSF, who figured out a way to provide preventive dental care products to all of us, in an easy and affordable way.

You simply use one of their Teeth Impression Kits in the comfort and privacy of your home. Send OTIS your impressions, and in just a few days, you’ll receive a premium-quality custom night guard in the mail. They even offer custom whitening trays with professional-strength whitening gels for an amazing discounted price… the same kind offered by dentists!

If you’re exhibiting Bruxism symptoms, include a custom night guard into your bedtime routine. It’s the easy and affordable way to protect the health and beauty of your smile for life.